


Akumu Part 1: Nightmare

by Spunky0ne



Series: Akumu [1]
Category: Bleach
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-12-27
Updated: 2016-06-02
Packaged: 2018-01-06 09:11:56
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 14
Words: 40,869
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1105039
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Spunky0ne/pseuds/Spunky0ne
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Aizen Sousuke escapes Muken, a special team pursues him into Hueco Mundo. Little do they know the nightmare that awaits them...</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1: Not Meant to Be

Aizen Sousuke gazed quietly at the computer screen in front of him, his fingers moving deftly over the keyboard as he watched the changes in the display in front of him. He made a soft sound of approval as they reflected what he had hoped to see and he added a fresh set of data to what had already been collected.

"Ah, I see," he whispered, half to himself and half directed towards the unconscious shinigami that laid on the nearby examination table, "Very crafty, Urahara Kisuke. I have always said that of all of the minds in the Seireitei, yours is the one that exceeds mine. But...you are too easily manipulated. As you can see, it has led you to yield all of your hard work to me. Although you tried so hard to hide it, I know your secret. I know what you and I both created. But neither works properly, and I want to know why. This search could take some time. And while we wait, there is a test you will help me with. My apologies for not asking politely, but I don't think you would have approved. As you see, approval isn't necessary now. Despite any objection you would make, I will have what only you can give me...my power and your mind made one. This one will be a dream, Urahara Kisuke...or for you...a nightmare."

He rose from his seat and approached his captive slowly, pausing at a console at his bedside to press several buttons. He watched as several soft beeps sounded and pale fluid within a large vial was sent into the other man's body through a tube that had been inserted into his abdominal cavity.

"This, Urahara Kisuke, is our dream," he said softly, watching as the fluid seeped into the spirit chamber he had implanted in the man, "This is the mating of our two souls. The greatest shinigami mind and the greatest shinigami power, blended together and made one. Don't worry. This will not harm you. You will never even know that it happened. The drug I will give you will make you forget. And you will be home and safe in your bed before you ever know you were gone. I regret you will never know this one exists, but if you did, you might destroy him. You did, after all, say that this power was too terrible for the three worlds to manage. I don't share your pessimism. I choose to believe that we will be successful."

Aizen went quiet, then, watching as the last of the fluid entered the spirit chamber in his colleague's restrained body. Several of the machines around Kisuke beeped and hummed, and Aizen's eyes widened as the spirit chamber was brought to life. He leaned over the other man's body, laying his hands on the pale skin of his exposed abdomen and feeling the swell of power under his fingers and palms. And slowly, as the area glowed softly, the restrained man's abdomen began to swell.

"Ideally, I would like to have taken this more slowly," Aizen said dulcetly, "but I don't think that even I could keep you restrained like this for long. You would eventually escape. This will put a strain on your body and may weaken you for a time, but don't worry. Even though I could kill you right now, I won't. You, my friend, are far too useful in my plans. Yes, we will do great things together, Urahara Kisuke...great things..."

He returned his focus to the machines that surrounded the examination table, making sure that the readings remained stable as the process continued and Kisuke's exposed belly continued to grow. Finally, a monitor beeped and Aizen smiled as he sensed a new reiatsu, and the vaguest touch of a developing mind. And as he perused the readouts, his smile warmed.

"Yes...you are everything I hoped you would be. But there is a little more we need to do."

He waited until the main screen flashed to indicate the completion of the reiatsu's growth, then leaned over Kisuke again. He caressed the soft skin of his captive's abdomen, watching in wonder as he sent his reiatsu into the man's body and the spirit chamber he had placed slowly opened.

The light around Aizen's hands grew more intense, almost blinding, and he made another soft sigh of approval. The light moved then, rising out of Kisuke's body and curving gently into Aizen's opened arms. He watched closely as the light began to fade, and the cluster solidified and gradually took on the form of a tiny, shinigami baby. The infant gazed up at his father through bright, red-brown eyes and he started to cry softly.

"There now," Aizen said affectionately, "You are all right. You will be fine. I will see that you are taken care of."

He cleaned away the apparatus around Kisuke, then carried him to another room and bound him in kido ropes before leaving him sleeping again.

"I will let you go in the morning," he said quietly, "I will need to monitor you through the night to make sure that there were no ill effects. You see, I still need you, Urahara Kisuke. It wouldn't do at all to have you die now. I thank you. You have given me a wonderful gift. I hope that someday, I can return the favor. We shall see, ne?"

He abandoned the room, leaving several monitors to ensure that he would be kept stable, then returned to the child he had made with their combined essences and reiatsu.

"Now, to you," he told the infant, admiring the baby, "I would like to keep you here, but it would be too dangerous. If anyone discovered just how you were made, you would be destroyed. I want very much to avoid that."

He bundled the baby warmly and carried him out of the laboratory, moving out onto the darkened streets and using his zanpakutou's illusions to make himself unseen. He passed through the Seireitei's guarded gate and walked into the upper Rukongai, then on until he reached the middle districts, before stopping at a small, but homey looking orphanage. He smiled and altered his appearance, then knocked on the door. Soft footsteps sounded on the other side of the door, and then it opened and an old woman peered out.

"Goodness, my dear!" she exclaimed, staring at the image Aizen presented her with of a raggedly dressed and badly beaten young woman, "Come in, come in! You look about to collapse."

"I am s-so sorry, Ma'am," he said in a woman's voice, "P-please, you must take my baby! My husband hurt me and he would have killed the ch-child. But I escaped him and found my way to you. Please...please take my baby. Take my little Ren and care for him!"

The old woman gazed down at the lovely infant's bright red-brown eyes and felt her heart give way instantly.

"I will take care of you both," she promised, accepting the child from her arms, then watching in dismay as she collapsed onto the floor and stopped breathing, "Oh no...Michio! Michio, come quickly!"

Her husband appeared a moment later and dashed to the fallen girl's side, quickly examining her. His power flared around his hands and flowed into her beaten body, but failed to produce any result. Several minutes later, he sighed sadly and leaned over her to close her eyes.

"The poor dear," the old woman whispered, her aged eyes tearing, "That someone could harm a young thing like her...and threaten a mere baby! It's horrible."

"Well," Michio said softly, "We cannot help her now...except by caring for this little one."

"Ren, she said his name was."

"Welcome to our family, Ren," Michio said, touching the infant's cheek and earning a soft, happy gurgle.

XXXXXXXXXX

(One Hundred Years Later...at the Sixth Division Headquarters)

Renji looked up as the door to the sixth division opened and a slender noble male with barely behaving waves of raven hair, and lovely sapphire eyes entered the room. He registered Byakuya's absence, then turned his eyes towards the fukutaichou's desk and greeted Renji with a smile.

"Good afternoon, Abarai-san," he greeted the redhead pleasantly, "I am supposed to meet my cousin here. I am sure this is the time he told me to be here..."

"Y-yeah," Renji said, standing, "Well, a message just came that the taichous need more time for strategy formation, so he said that you and I could just go on to Karakura Town and let Ichigo know why he's going to be late. You know they have a date tonight."

"Of course," Tetsuya said, blushing slightly.

"That's right," Renji chuckled, "Of course you do, being his head of security and his bodyguard."

"But if I am in Karakura Town, I cannot very well be guarding him," Tetsuya objected, "I will just..."

He paused as Renji flash stepped in front of him and got between him and the door.

"W-wait just a sec," he said, placing a hand on the slighter man's shoulder and earning a curious and somewhat wary glance from the pretty, sapphire-eyed noble, "Taichou said it was fine. And he said he felt better knowing you would help me out with checking out a few spots where there was some unusual hollow activity."

"Surely a fukutaichou level, and one with a bankai at that could handle such an assignment without an extra tagging along," Tetsuya mused.

"Hey!" Renji laughed, "Those sound like fighting words. You looking to get me riled, Tetsuya-san?"

Tetsuya's blush grew at the redhead's show of familiarity, but although flustered, he couldn't seem to make himself reject the other man's advances.

"You are riled already," he said, trying to escape under one of Renji's arms, only to get tangled up with him and pulled in for a sudden, plundering kiss.

"Abarai-san!" he exclaimed, trying to pull away, "Stop, you shouldn't...!"

"Come on," Renji said, trapping him gently up against the wall and gazing affectionately into the younger man's eyes, "You know I'm really attracted to you."

"I-I know," said the noble, blushing more fiercely, "I just...It is just that..."

"Tetsuya," Renji said, stunning the younger man with the more familiar use of his first name, "I don't mean to be pushy or anything. And if you're not interested in me, all you have to do is tell me that. I'll back off and not say another word if you look me in the eyes and tell me that you don't want to see me romantically. We can still be friends. I just...want there to be...more."

Tetsuya stared back at him breathlessly, struggling for words. Renji closed in again and stopped his words with another long, penetrating kiss that left the lovely noble nearly unable to breathe and held helplessly in the other man's arms. Renji plunged into his mouth again, at the same time pressing forward so that Tetsuya could feel the hot swell of his inflamed arousal through their clothes.

"Abarai-san!" Tetsuya exclaimed softly, "Renji, s-stop!"

Renji paused in his kissing, but continued to keep him trapped up against the wall.

"Are you telling me that you only want to be friends?" Renji asked, looking down into his widened eyes, "Because, when you called me by my first name, just now, it didn't sound that way. What are you telling me, here, Tetsuya?"

Tetsuya hesitated for a moment, then felt his resolve crumble.

"Renji, I..."

The door opened suddenly, and the two broke away from each other as Byakuya entered the room. The taichou's gray eyes quickly took in Tetsuya's widened eyes and piqued expression and he gave Renji a stern look.

"Abarai fukutaichou, were you being less than gentlemanly with my cousin?" he asked, frowning.

"No, Taichou," Renji said quickly, "I was just...erm...telling him that you were running late and we should go on ahead and meet with you in Karkura Town."

"Well, as you see, I am back, so we can go together."

"Great," sighed the redhead, trying to hide his disappointment, "I'm ready to go."

"I am as well, Byakuya-sama," Tetsuya said, recovering slightly, "Arashi is just outside."

"Good," said Byakuya, nodding, "But we will need to make a stop on the way. As it turns out, Ichigo came to see the Eleventh's new group of initiates. I thought that I would go over and meet him there."

"While also looking to deprive my ex-taichou of any talented guys you would rather not see slaughtered before they reach their full potential," chuckled Renji.

"Hmmm," the taichou huffed softly, "Those young men should be made aware, there are ways to grow as fighters that will actually allow them to reach their full potential before they die."

"Hey, I get it," Renji said, good-naturedly, "That's why I'm not still over there, getting bashed up on a daily basis anymore."

"I am glad that you came to your senses and grew out of that," Byakuya said dryly, "Now, you just might live to see the next few hundred years...provided you do not do something stupid, like treat my cousin dishonorably."

"There was no dishonor involved," Renji insisted, "I just asked him to go along to Karakura Town with me. There might have been a few kisses exchanged..."

"Renji-san!" Tetsuya complained, blushing again.

"I think I understand," Byakuya assured his fukutaichou, "And Tetsuya is free to do as his heart tells him. Just bear in mind that he is a member of my house and is to be treated with utmost respect."

"Of course, Taichou!" Renji affirmed, "I would never disrespect Tetsuya-san."

"Would the two of you please stop talking about me as though I'm not here?" Tetsuya objected.

"Come, Tetsuya, Renji," Byakuya said, turning back towards the door, "We should be on our way."

The three left the sixth division, the two nobles riding on the back of Tetsuya's tall, black Arabian stallion. Arashi walked alongside Renji, nipping playfully at the redhead's ponytail every now and again and earning a feigned scowl.

"Would you knock it off, you!" he said, swatting at the beast and making him toss his head and snort derisively, "What's with you guys anyway? All I want here is to go out with Tetsuya. What's the big deal? A little dinner at a nice restaurant. A walk in the moonlight, some harmless kisses. I don't think that's a bad thing."

"I don't mean to be standoffish, Renji-san," Tetsuya said penitently, "I simply haven't seen anyone romantically in a very long time."

"Well then," said the redhead, smiling up at him, "Now's the time to start. Why don't you come down off that big hairy fleabag horse of yours and hold hands with me."

Tetsuya barely stifled a laugh as Arashi emitted a low, equine growl.

"Just kidding, baka," Renji said, dodging the stallion's teeth as he tried to nip at Renji's hair again, "Knock it off!"

"Well," Byakuya said, an edge of amusement in his voice, "you did insult him."

They reached the eleventh and Byakuya and Tetsuya dismounted, the latter issuing a directive to the stallion to accompany the clan leader. Arashi glowered warningly at Renji, then turned and placed himself at Byakuya's heels.

"You don't think he's really mad at me, do you?" Renji asked, scratching the back of his neck, "Don't want him killing me in my sleep or something."

"Arashi won't hurt you," Tetsuya chuckled, "He is only being protective. He teases you as much as you tease him because he likes you."

"He likes me, huh," the redhead said, sliding an arm around the younger man, then giving him a look of surprise when Tetsuya made no objection, "What about his master? Does he like me too?"

"I think he does," Tetsuya said, blushing, "But Arashi's master is cautious."

"Right. That makes sense, you being a bodyguard. But, I hope that soon you'll feel comfortable with me, Tetsuya. I really think you're beautiful. And if all you'll do is let me put my arm around you sometimes for now, that's okay by me."

Tetsuya stopped walking for a moment and gave Renji a look of genuine gratitude.

"Thank you, Renji-san," he said quietly, "It feels good to be embraced again. I'd almost forgotten."

"Hey," Renji said, his eyes softening, "I know that risking your heart after losing someone is hard. Look at Taichou. He was alone for over fifty years after his wife died, before he confessed his feelings to Ichigo. And even now, they're moving slowly. There's nothing wrong with that."

"It is good to see him happy," Tetsuya said, looking over to where Byakuya and Arashi were approaching the shinigami substitute.

"Hey, Byakuya," Ichigo greeted the noble, smiling and patting Arashi's satin neck as the stallion nickered and nudged him playfully, "You bite Renji's ass like I told you to?"

Arashi gave a short, wicked horse laugh.

"Ichigo," Byakuya said, arching an eyebrow, "I would prefer it if you didn't encourage him. He annoys my fukutaichou enough as it is."

"Sorry," Ichigo chuckled, slipping his arms around the clan leader and meeting him for a warm kiss of greeting, "Those two are just too funny."

"Hmmm," Byakuya huffed disapprovingly.

He turned towards the training grounds and the two watched as sparring pairs exchanged blows.

"Is there anyone here needing rescue from that barbarian?"

"The guy on the end over there," Ichigo said quietly, "He's good, but if he doesn't have some guidance, he isn't going to live long enough to get stronger. The girl in the red over there. She's god awful strong but she's holding back on the fact that she's even stronger in kido. Soon as that comes out, they'll hound her to death.

"Mmmm," Byakuya said, watching the two, "They are capable. I think I can seat both of them. I will have the promotions sent. Thank you for assisting me. It annoys me when good talent is wasted on this ridiculous, primeval..."

"I get it," Ichigo laughed, "You wanna go now? Looks like Renji's got Tetsuya's attention for a while."

Byakuya looked over to where the two stood, with Renji's arm around the younger man, watching the sparring and exchanging occasional kisses.

"He looks happy," Byakuya observed, "I am glad for them."

Ichigo started to answer, but froze as the Seireitei alarms began to wail. Byakuya's eyes widened as the memory of the quincies' initial attacks rose up in his mind.

_But their leaders have been annihilated. This is just..._

A shiver went through the two as a stern voice issued through the loudspeakers.

_High priority alert...High priority alert...Prisoner Aizen Sousuke has been reported missing from Muken, Central 46. I repeat. Prisoner Aizen Sousuke has been reported missing from Muken, Central 46. All taichous and fukutaichous please report to your meeting sites for further information._

"Damn," Ichigo breathed, exchanging haunted glances with the clan leader, "That's bad."

"Come with me, Ichigo," Byakuya said, climbing onto Arashi's back and offering him a hand.

Ichigo hopped nimbly onto the stallion's back and wrapped his arms around Byakuya's slender waist, holding on tightly as Arashi plunged into a gallop.

Renji offered Tetsuya a kiss of parting and followed on foot. Tetsuya turned back towards Kuchiki Manor, sending a hell butterfly ahead to put the house staff on alert. All around him, shinigamis swarmed towards their meeting points, the memory of Aizen's past actions all too fresh in their minds.

XXXXXXXXXX

Several miles away, in the mid-Rukongai, Aizen Sousuke smirked at the sound of the Seireitei alarms that rose up in the distance, and he headed for the edge of town. He reached the orphanage quickly and slipped inside, his reclaimed power making him invisible to the ones there. He heard an old woman's voice and his eyes widened at the name she spoke.

"Ren, dear, would you mind picking up a few things for us while you are out?"

"Sure," the young man said agreeably, taking the list from his adoptive mother's hand, "But I think it might be a few hours."

"Oh, no rush," Noa assured him, "Just be careful. Something is amiss in the Seireitei. I heard there was an escape from the Cental 46 prison."

"I'll be careful," the young man promised as Noa captured his lovely face in her hands admiring the bright, red-brown eyes and long, mingled, black and purple tresses, then kissed him on the cheek.

"Go on, now," she urged him.

Ren slipped out of the house, into the suddenly too quiet street and made his way towards the town center. He felt an inner sense of disquiet and looked around, frowning.

_That's odd. I thought that I felt malevolent eyes watching me._

He stood for a moment, sensing the area around him and finding nothing. He loosed a sigh and chalked it up to being unnerved over the alert, then took a step forward.

A moment later, he felt a shock pass through his body and heard a soft, chilling voice that seemed to invade his mind.

_It has been a long time...to long, Aizen Ren._


	2. Awakening

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aizen escapes and returns to claim what is his!

"I owe you an apology," Aizen said dulcetly as he adjusted the bindings on the young man that he had abducted and then carried into Hueco Mundo, "Actually, I owe you several."

He turned to face the computer and his fingers gracefully stroked the keys as he continued.

"I suppose I must first apologize for doing the unnatural to create you. Perhaps I should have just made the attempt to court your 'mother' but Urahara Kisuke, at the time, was not of a mindset to do such a thing. He was already suspicious, and with good reason, ne? Others might have felt uncomfortable in my presence, but he didn't just feel uncomfortable, he suspected that I was not what I appeared to be at all. It was a sort of Catch 22. I required someone of high intelligence...intelligence equal to or exceeding my own, in order to make you. However, one of such a high mental caliber would also see through my machinations, and so needed to be subdued before making too many connections. It was like a game of chess, waiting for Kisuke to offer me an opening. But that man has an Achilles' heel I don't. You are of highly intelligent parents, so you might understand. Let me see if I can explain it to you."

The computer in front of him beeped and whirred, expelling a written report that stole him from his monologue for several minutes, then brought an approving smile to his lips.

"Fascinating," he said softly.

He blinked slowly, then looked back at the young man, rose, and returned to his side.

"As I was saying," he went on, "The weakness that Urahara Kisuke has is his inescapable desire to protect chosen others. He protects Kurosaki Ichigo and his friends, his former comrades, the vizards, Shihoin Yoruichi, and the list goes on. This is not to say that 'caring' for another is wrong. It is that he misinterprets what 'caring for' and 'protecting' really mean. When I left the Seireitei with Gin and Tousen, I chose them specifically to serve me. You could say that I 'cared' for them. Indeed, I concealed them in Las Noches and made certain that when we returned for the final battles, they were not only in their best condition, but were well prepared for what steps the enemy would take. I improved their abilities and raised their power so that they could do what I intended for them to do."

He paused and closed his eyes for a moment, a flash vision of Gin's death flickering in his mind.

"You might ask why those men are dead...if, indeed, I 'cared' for them and 'protected' them. Listen closely, Ren. See if you can understand. We all come to life with a fate. Some believe that one's fate is predestined, while others believe that we set the course with our decisions, and still others believe in a melding of both. I say that it does not matter how one gains a fate, but that he pursues it relentlessly, once he knows what it is. I pursued the throne. Gin wanted to kill me. Tousen longed to be the hand of justice. And through our endeavors as comrades, we put ourselves in the path of those fates."

Aizen's lips curved slightly upward.

"I knew that Gin wanted to kill me, and I found a way to use him to move me in the direction of my own goals. Tousen too, I used, even while giving him a way to pursue his justice. We did not form a nakama, nor did we interfere in each others' battles. Had one of them died early, I would have gone on uninhibited, because while binding our energies and moving towards our goals, we did not become dependent on each other. That is where 'caring' and 'protecting' become foolish things."

He paused as Ren's breathing roughened for a moment and he moaned uncomfortably. A touch of reiatsu deepened his state of unconsciousness and Aizen continued.

"Have I ever mentioned, Kuchiki Byakuya? He is a wonderful example of a supremely powerful and talented shinigami, an experienced strategist and taichou, who foolishly cared, and weakened himself because of it. When the quincies attacked the Seireitei, Byakuya went off to battle the quincy As Nodt, with his comrade and friend, Abarai Renji at his side and his beloved sister, Rukia fighting nearby. But the quincy already knew of his weakness. And even had that data not revealed his protectiveness, As Nodt's power revealed it. Kuchiki Byakuya, the man who would have seen his own sister executed to protect his clan's pride before, had grown a heart...and As Nodt was perfectly happy to break it for him. Byakuya fell under the power of his own bankai and nearly paid for his foolishness with his life. I am sure that when he woke and had a second chance, he grew a bit wiser. He has since dwelt less on protecting his loved ones and more on making them more able to take care of themselves. It is a step in the right direction, but it falls short. Instead of worrying about whether they live or die, he should look at who they are, and how they can best achieve their fates, and help him to reach his. And if they fall, he should be sad at their passing before they could achieve their fates, but he should not throw down his own usefulness to save them. That would be a waste. I hope that you will never be that foolish."

A gentle tapping on the door to the lab made Aizen look up and fix his brown eyes on the door. A moment later it opened, admitting a golden-haired and buxom female hollow. Aizen smiled at her and nodded.

"Harribel," he said quietly.

The hollow's lips tightened rebelliously, but she nodded curtly.

"The shinigamis are nearing the fortress," she reported, "I am more than certain that they are here for you. Given that they did assist us in overcoming the quincies, we owe them. You had best gather your things and leave this place. We have no interest in creating new hostilities."

"I told you not to worry," Aizen said easily, "I am undetectable in this lab. In fact, you, yourself, are only able to reach it because I have chosen to allow it. Just tell the shinigamis that you don't know where I am. No one but you knows it isn't true."

"You want me to lie for you?" Harribel growled, "You...!"

"Calm down," Aizen said softly, "You don't want to make me have to remind you why I became your leader before, nor why you have no choice but to follow me now. Here...let me offer you some relief from the stress. I wouldn't want you to give anything away to them."

"Aizen, don't you dare...!" Harribel began, reaching for her sword.

Aizen gave her an icy smile, invoking his shikai silently, then watching as the lady hollow blinked several times, then shook her head to clear, and walked out of the room.

"Ah, much better," he sighed, turning back to the young man he had been examining.

He froze, staring, upon realizing that the bonds that had been holding his captive down were now empty and Ren was gone.

"Impossible," Aizen whispered, then he caught himself, "But no, one of our making would be able to do this. I underestimated you because of the fact that I sealed your greater powers before giving you to those peasants."

He shook his head and sighed.

"I had best find you before the shinigamis see you. It would be problematic for them to find you before you are properly educated in using your abilities."

He slipped out of the room, using his shikai to conceal him as he searched the hallways. The sound of voices drifted into the hallway from the nearby throne room.

"I am sorry, Kuchiki taichou," Harribel's solemn voice said calmly, but we have seen no sign of Aizen Sousuke. I would imagine that if he left you a trail to follow here, then he must have done so to cause a disagreement between us. You and your group are free to search the fortress, if you wish, but do not harass the hollow protectors here. We fought hard and many of our soldiers died to win peace. Do not do anything that will bring us back to a state of war."

"I have no plans to do that," Byakuya agreed, "We will accept your gracious offer to allow us to search the fortress and we will take care not to harm the protectors here, unless they attack us."

"Ah...such harmony," Aizen muttered, smirking as he continued past the throne room, reaching out with his senses and searching for his escaped captive's reiatsu, "Come now, Ren. You should not have done this. I would hate for you to die too soon."

XXXXXXXXXX

"You know, we may be at peace with the hollows for now, but I still don't trust them," Renji said discontentedly as Byakuya led them out of the throne room and into a maze of hallways.

"I'm with Renji," Ichigo said, shaking his head firmly, "That asshole, Grimmjow, still tries to pick fights with me every time we bump into each other."

"I haven't had the dubious pleasure of meeting Grimmjow," said Tetsuya, "However, I do know that, despite his poor manners, he did play a significant role in defeating the quincies."

"Yeah, he did," Renji said, scowling, "But it didn't change the guy's nasty personality."

"Come now," Byakuya said, frowning, "This is not the time to be worrying about such things. We need to locate Aizen quickly, before he is able to unseal the hougyoku and start all of that nonsense again!"

"Right, Taichou!" Renji agreed, falling in with Tetsuya on one side of the clan leader, while Ichigo took up a position on the other side.

They proceeded through the hallways and searched the open rooms, scanning the locked ones carefully as well. The hollows they encountered all greeted them warily, and none challenged them. But even without impediments, searching even just the main tower of the fortress was an arduous task. They proceeded for several hours, carefully searching every corner, nook and cranny. Finally, Byakuya called a halt and the group stopped to rest briefly.

"That room appears to be empty," Byakuya said, nodding in the direction of a spacious lounge, "Come, let us..."

He paused, staring in surprise, as he turned into the room and almost tripped over the unconscious body of a young man.

"What the hell?" Ichigo breathed, as Tetsuya and Renji exchanged curious glances, and Byakuya bent over the young man's motionless form.

XXXXXXXXX

What happened to me? Why can't I move? Ren wondered, I remember leaving home, but...something happened on the way. Yeah. That man. I just got a little glimpse, and I had no chance to counter when he struck. I may be nearly powerless except for a little healing ability, but I'm usually fast enough to make a quick strike and get away. At least, I always could before. What happened? Where am I?

A voice trickled down into the haze around him and he registered that it seemed to be the same as the one that had addressed him as he was losing consciousness.

He said something, but I was too out of it to understand. I wish I could open my eyes. Maybe if I saw him, I would know who he is and why he grabbed me. Michio and Noa don't have much money and their only power is healing power. I don't think it could be about them. If they owed someone money, I would have just been beaten and returned as a warning. But this...it seems like it might be about me. Why? I'm no one. I'm powerless except for that bit of healing ability and some oddities about my dreams. I don't know who my mother was. She told Michio and Noa that she was running away from her abusive husband, then she died. Could this be him, then? Could this be my father? But why would it have taken him so long to find me? And why would he choose now to abduct me? What is this really about?

Ren quieted his mind and found with time that he could pick up something of what the man was saying, although the little bit he could understand didn't make great amounts of sense. He shivered inwardly when he heard the names 'Gin' and 'Kuchiki Byakuya.' They were names that had permeated most of the Rukon as men not to be trifled with. Gin was a dead traitor, who had been a powerful taichou. And although Byakuya had nearly died in the quincy invasion, he had emerged from the war even more frighteningly powerful. He had heard, too, that the Kuchiki leader was close with the hero, Shiba Ichigo. This person, then, must not be his father, he supposed, but whoever he was, if he had anything to do with the ones he was speaking of, then he was a deadly sort.

Ren felt the man moving closer and made his body perfectly still, letting his mind go blank as well as the man's cool fingers opened his clothing and he could feel the man's eyes slowly peruse his slender, tanned body.

"Interesting," the man murmured as his fingers traced a bit of the ebony dragon tattoo that ran around his throat.

It took the young man considerable effort not to flinch or inhale too sharply as the man's fingers followed the snake tattoo that wove sensuously around his waist and hips. The man's hands left his body for a moment, then he felt those invasive fingers capture a long strand of his purple tipped, ebony hair, and had to force himself into a lower state of awareness to avoid giving away that he was conscious.

He heard a tapping sound and the man left his side to converse with someone who seemed to be female and rough mannered. Ren managed to crack an eye open and watched for a moment, then took a steadying breath and put his lowly skills to work.

It's not common knowledge, but when I was a child and times were rough, I developed some survival skills that Michio and Noa would rather not know about. I knew it was wrong to steal, but it was more of a weight for me to be a burden on them. So while I was little and couldn't do much else, I learned all I could about being stealthy and escaping bad situations. The dragon tattoo was the mark of the gang leader I defeated to avoid being inducted into the street gangs and the snake around my hips was a warning that although I look weak, I know how to fight.

Fight and escape, the two things I learned to stay alive.

He smirked as he made easy work of the bindings, which his abductor had been somewhat careless with, probably thinking it would be longer before he woke. His body felt strange as he rose and ducked behind the examination table he had been on. It seemed to hum with some kind of unusual vibration. And as his captor turned and looked at the empty examinations table, the vibration seemed to swell all around him.

What is this? Ren wondered, staring as the man reacted as though he didn't see him, even as he looked him in the eyes, Am I...doing this to him? How does he not see me?

The very air around the two seemed to shift and Ren found himself standing on an unfamiliar rise, looking down into a lake that reflected his image. The image rippled and very slowly began to change as he watched. Ren gasped as the face in the water became someone else's, a tall, slender man with an aristocratic face and deep, hypnotic green eyes.

Who are you? the reflection asked him, How did you enter our inner world?

"What?" he gasped, backing away and shaking his head in confusion, "What do you mean? I don't have an inner world! I'm not a shinigami. At most, I am a simple healer!"

You stand before me and yet you want me to believe that? the green-eyed man said, No one has ever come here without our permission. One does not invade the inner world of Aizen Sousuke without an invitation!

"Aizen Sousuke!" Ren gasped, backing away from the water and looking around questioningly.

How have you done this? the man on the water's surface demanded, Why can I not make contact with my master! WHO ARE YOU!

Ren turned and froze as he found himself facing the brown-eyed man he had glimpsed earlier. He fled immediately, noting suddenly that a doorway had opened up in front of him, just as he had desired.

Oh my, Aizen chuckled softly, I seem to have very much underestimated you. And allowing your powers to begin to manifest without better securing you was careless. It's just been so long since anyone with real intelligence faced me. Aizen Razhah Ketsuekibara, you are very, very interesting. Now, why don't you come back and let me have a look at you? It's been a while...since the day you were born, actually...

"Leave me alone, you freak!" Ren screamed, launching himself through the doorway that had opened up ahead of him, "Stay the hell away from me!"

He felt a shock pass through his body and he went limp and started to lose consciousness as he tumbled through the doorway and crashed down into blackness.


	3. Invasion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ren's powers begin to manifest.

Ren shivered in his sleep, Aizen's voice whispering into his mind and making odd images flash before his eyes.

Aizen Rhazhah Ketsuekibara...

The very name sent a wicked chill up and down his spine.

Why did he call me that? Ren wondered, Is it my real name? And if it is, how would he know it? I live below the districts where personal records are kept. The only ones Soul Society keeps track of here are the exceptionally powerful people, or people who have been in significant trouble with them. I have no great powers, and I know of nothing that a powerful enemy like Aizen Sousuke would want. Still, there must be a reason he sought me out. Why? I have heard that he wields illusions. Could he have somehow been involved in my coming to Michio and Noa in the Rukongai? What is going on here?

He felt an unfamiliar, but stoic presence near him and worked one flickering red-brown eye open, then the other. The eyes that looked back at him were depthless and steel gray, and the man's face was like that of an angel. He blinked slowly, watching as Ren regained awareness and looked around the room they were in. The room looked comfortable, though not overly luxurious, made for comfort more than for display.

My kind of place, he thought wryly, fixing his eyes on the man at his bedside, then noticing a younger and more expressive face with golden brown eyes peeking out from unruly, short ginger strands of slightly spiked hair.

"Wh-where is this place?" Ren asked unsteadily, blinking several more times to make his surroundings register more clearly, "Who are you?"

"We were about to ask you the same question," the younger man said in a friendly, curious tone, "But let me introduce myself. I'm Ichigo, and this is my friend, Byakuya."

Ren was careful to show no sign of recognition of the names, but sat up and accepted Ichigo's hand in greeting.

"I am Ren," he told them, "I am from District forty-seven of the Rukongai. Where have you taken me? How did we get here?"

"We found you collapsed in a room in Las Noches," Byakuya said quietly, "It is a curious thing, a peasant of the Rukongai being in that place. The governer, Harribel, said that she did not know you, nor did she know how you came to be there. We thought, at first, that you might be Aizen Sousuke, attempting to fool us. But Ichigo would have known an illusion placed by that man, as would my cousin. Neither have seen Aizen's shikai. But even if you are not Aizen Sousuke, your appearance in Las Noches around the time of his escape is suspicious. So, why don't you tell us what you were doing in Las Noches."

Warning bells sounded in Ren's Rukon-educated mind and he knew better than to reveal anything significant. He gave the two men a tenuous smile and shook his head.

"It's the strangest thing," he said slowly, "I don't remember ever being in Las Noches. I left my home and was going into town, shopping for my parents. They run an orphanage there, and my dad is also the town's healer. I remember walking towards town and I was thinking about the things that I had to remember to get. The next thing I knew, I was waking up here. I don't remember anything about Las Noches. I can't cross into Hueco Mundo. I have no powers."

He saw instantly, the dark reaction in Byakuya and Ichigo's eyes, then remembered waking in Las Noches and feeling that strange vibration in his body.

"Why would you say that?" Byakuya asked, frowning, "It is more than obvious that you have shinigami powers, though what they are is something you would have to explain. After all, we cannot penetrate your inner world."

"There wouldn't be anything to see," Ren answered honestly, "I don't have an inner world...at least I didn't last I remember."

Ichigo and Byakuya exchanged curious glances.

"Byakuya," said the younger man, "Could his powers have caused him to be transported to Las Noches somehow? I've heard of some people with unusual powers like that. Could it be something that developed recently and activated on its own?"

"I do not know," Byakuya confessed, "But I find it odd that he so brazenly states something so obviously a lie. Anyone could tell he has shinigami powers, and yet he has denied it. Why?"

"I'm sorry," Ren said, lowering his eyes respectfully, "I am trying to be honest with you. Up until now, I have been almost powerless. I was able to learn some healing spells so that I could be helpful to my father. But I have never had any significant powers...really!"

"I can see that you believe that," Byakuya said in a disapproving tone, "But whatever the case, we do need to establish your identity."

He paused for a moment, considering his words.

"But they don't keep records below the forty-fifth district," Byakuya said, meeting Ren's eyes questioningly, "We attempted to see if you were in Central 46's database, but you appear to have never crossed paths with the law."

Or I just wasn't ever caught doing anything worth getting arrested over, Ren thought, smirking inwardly.

"You said that your father is the town healer?" asked Ichigo.

"Yes. He and my mother..."

"Run an orphanage," Byakuya finished, "You told us that. I will dispatch my fukutaichou to verify you are who you have told us you are."

"But wait," said Ren, "Aren't you going to let me go too? I mean, I can go home, right? I haven't done anything wrong."

"You haven't been accused of a crime," Byakuya agreed, "but being 'off the grid' and difficult to trace, we are required to hold you here until we are given permission to return you to the Rukongai. A comrade of ours has sent pictures of you, samples of blood and reiatsu and results of a scan he took, so that we can learn more about you."

"What's there to know?" Ren complained, "I'm just a Rukon orphan! I'm nobody important! Why are you keeping me here?"

"Hey," Ichigo said in a bracing tone, "Don't take this all the wrong way. We just need to know if there was a reason why you were there...if maybe somebody, I don't know, kidnapped you and took you there or something. You say you don't remember going there or being there. You had to get there somehow."

"The scans we took of your body may reveal if someone else was in contact with you," Byakuya informed him calmly, "I would think you would be interested in knowing what we find. If you were abducted or if your newly emerged powers transported you there, we should be able to make a determination of things and perhaps people you came into contact with."

Ren's heart quickened as he remembered Aizen's cool fingers exploring his tattoos.

"L-look," he said, letting his body tremble so that they would think he was more scared than he felt, "I didn't do anything. Please, I just want to go home. My folks are probably worried out of their minds! I have to go and let them see I am all right. Please!"

"Don't be scared," Ichigo said, smiling reassuringly, "We can have Renji and Tetsuya deliver a message to your folks, and you will be able to go home as soon as Kisuke has the results of the stuff he did here."

"There is another reason that you may want to reconsider rushing back to your home," Byakuya suggested solemnly.

"Why?"

"You said that you don't know if you were abducted or if your own developing powers may have caused you to be transported to Las Noches."

"Yeah?"

"If it was your own powers, then you might want to spend some time here, in a safe environment, getting familiar with them," the noble suggested.

"And if you were abducted," Ichigo added, "Going home might just bring your abductor back for another try. I've been in that position before. I get how frustrated you must feel. But, in addition to delivering your message and checking with your folks about your identity, Tetsuya and Renji are going to stay there and watch over them until you are brought back."

"They are...powerful?" Ren asked worriedly, "I don't want anything bad to happen to them, especially not because of someone coming after me! Please, you must make sure they are safe!"

"My fukutaichou and my cousin are both taichou level shinigamis," Byakuya assured him, "They will be capable protectors. Do not worry."

"If you're feeling better, you can come and have something to eat."

"I am starving," Ren said, laying a hand on his stomach.

Then, he paled.

"I barely ever felt hunger before," he whispered, frowning, "I must have some emerging powers. But why now? Why this way?"

"Sometimes we don't know why," Byakuya answered calmly, "But after you have eaten, we can begin to look into your abilities and see what power is forming in you."

"Okay," Ren said, taking a steadying breath as Ichigo helped him to his feet.

He took a step, then wobbled and collapsed breathlessly into Ichigo's arms.

"You okay?" Ichigo asked, looking concerned.

"F-fine," Ren managed as the Shiba heir helped him back into bed, "I just got dizzy."

"I will go and have someone bring you something to eat," Byakuya said, rising, "Ichigo will remain with you until Urahara Kisuke arrives."

"Ah. All right," Ren sighed, settling back against the pillow, "Thank you."

He watched as Byakuya left, then looked up at Ichigo.

"I think I have heard of him," he said, glancing in the direction the noble had gone, "He is Kuchiki taichou, ne? I heard about Abarai Renji and him in the aftermath of the quincy war. I heard of you as well. Why are powerful people like you taking such an interest in me? Did you really think that I was Aizen Sousuke in disguise?"

"I wouldn't put it past him," Ichigo mused, shaking his head, "He is really sly. He outsmarted everyone but Kisuke before. He's a really dangerous man, who needs to be put back in prison, where he belongs."

"I agree," said Ren, nodding, "And if I knew anything that would be of help, then I would certainly tell you. I don't, though. I don't know anything."

"I believe you," Ichigo said bracingly, "It's just that we have a lot of questions that need answering before we can assume that it's safe to let you go back. Just sit tight, okay? I know it's hard, but it's also the right thing to do."

"Very well," Ren conceded, his head bowing slightly in surrender, "I will stop troubling you about it. I just...feel strange...you know, being away from my home. I've never been here or Las Noches before. I've hardly even left my own district all of my life."

"You...said you are an orphan?" Ichigo queried, "Do you know anything about your parents? Could this have something to do with them?"

Ren considered the question carefully.

"I don't think so," he concluded in a frustrated tone, "Michio and Noa only told me that my mother appeared at the door one night. She had been badly beaten. She said that her husband, my father, had done it, and that she was afraid he would hurt me. She gave me to them and then she died. They planned to raise me as just another orphan, but Noa felt so bad for me that she convinced Michio to adopt me formally."

"You don't think your dad had anything to do with it, do you?" Ichigo asked.

"I don't think so. I don't know why he would show up now, even if he figured out where I was. I never heard of him being anyone important. I do know that I don't ever want to meet him."

The two looked up as the bedroom door opened and Kisuke and Byakuya entered, wearing frowns.

"What is it?" Ren asked, "Did you find something on the scans?"

"Nothing but a sign of some really screwed up results," sighed the shopkeeper, "And I nearly passed out when it identified you as Aizen Sousuke's kid."

"What?" Ren gasped, his eyes rounding.

"Take it easy," Kisuke chuckled, "There was obviously something wrong with the sample, because when I used my blood and reiatsu to compare the results, you registered as my kid too."

"What? But, how is that possible?" Ren mused.

"It's not," Kisuke assured him, "Something just got crossed in the samples or the computer flipped out. I'm running a diagnostic and will send fresh samples through. We'll also check those against what Kurotsuchi taichou discovers in his study at the twelfth. Don't worry about it. Just get some food into you and rest some more. Maybe tomorrow we can take a closer look at you and help you figure out your ability."

"Oh...yes," Ren said, settling back against the pillow and accepting a tray of food from the shopkeeper. He took a bite of the stew and paused, blinking at the wonderful taste.

"How is it?" Kisuke asked.

"It's wonderful!" Ren exclaimed, unable to resist taking additional bites and sopping some up with the fresh, warm bread on the tray, "Noa is a great cook, but this is as good as hers, if not even better."

"It's one of my buddy, Tessai's recipe's...not just good to the taste buds, it also ramps up the reiatsu and puts you in top form. By morning, you should feel like a new man! Then, like I said, we'll see what your new power can do."

"Thank you. I am glad. I'm really wondering about it. It's just strange that it only came to me now."

"It is sometimes known to happen," said Byakuya, studying him intently for a moment, "A multitude of factors have been known to affect the development of a connection with one's zanpakutou."

"That reminds me," said Kisuke, "Has your weapon appeared yet?"

"No," Ren answered, shaking his head, "I just...I feel a sort of humming or vibration inside."

"Yeah, that's your spirit centers awakening. It's interesting, though."

"Oh?"

"I saw signs that there may have been some kind of seal on your powers. And with the fact that you may have been abducted, it seems that someone might have grabbed you to remove the seal. Only problem is, we don't know who put that seal on, who took it off, or if we're heading up the wrong road altogether. But don't agonize over it. We'll figure things out. just eat that up and get some rest, okay? If you need anything during the night, there'll be someone by your door to help you out."

Hmmm, a nice way of warning me that there will be a guard...

Ren nodded briefly, then dug into the food. He relaxed as the others left the room and finished everything he had been given. As soon as he was done, he slipped out of bed and looked out the window. He appeared to be at the end of a row of houses that doubled as shops, near the edge of a park that ran along a river.

I have to get out of here.

I'm not stupid enough to buy that the test results were screwed up. It's starting to make horrid sense to me now. Aizen Sousuke is my father. He just messed with my reiatsu when he had me in Las Noches. He unsealed my powers and probably had plans for me that I don't even want to think about. If they find out I'm his kid, they'll probably kill me for that fact alone! Why in kami's name did that bastard come back to find me? What does he want? And how will I prevent him from finding me? I have a power that worked on him, but he will not give up. He will soon suspect I was found by those others, and he will come here looking for me!

I can't let him find me!

He heard footsteps approaching the door and slid back into bed as the man called Tessai arrived and took his tray.

"Thank you," Ren said gratefully, "That was delicious. I feel much better now."

"I'm glad," Tessai said, smiling at him, "Go ahead and get some sleep, now."

"I will."

He watched the man leave, then burst from the bed and moved to the window. He realized quickly that it was kido touched to prevent him leaving without the shop's occupants knowing. Smirking, his swiftly manipulated the reiatsu around it, allowing him to open the window. He waited until he was sure that his attempt had been successful, then he climbed out the window and dropped down onto the grass in the front yard.

"That was easy..." he chuckled to himself, starting across the lawn.

A moment later, Ren went perfectly still, staring wide-eyed as a tall, black Arabian stallion flash stepped into view in front of him.

"H-holy shit..." he breathed, "Where did you come from?"

The horse glared back at him through widened, sapphire eyes and stamped a delicate foot, warningly.

"Oh, you're with them," Ren said, looking around, "Are you a guard?"

The stallion lifted his head and whinnied loudly, prompting a quick response from the ones in the house. Strangely, Ren maintained an air of calm as they carefully positioned themselves around him.

"Eh...the room was stuffy. I just...needed some fresh air," he said, forcing his body to remain calm and alert, "Sorry. I didn't mean to cause trouble."

"It's not a good idea for you to be out and about," said Kisuke, "What, with maybe having a criminal after you. Come on back inside, Ren."

"Right," Ren sighed, letting out a frustrated breath.

His brow furrowed as he suddenly remembered entering Aizen's inner world and escaping him that way. He turned his head slightly and looked up at Arashi, willing himself into the stallion's inner world. He almost laughed as he heard the others make exclamations of surprise and dismay as he disappeared. Their dismay turned to utter shock as Arashi suddenly squealed and began to fade away.

"Arashi, what is happening?" Byakuya cried, flash stepping forward.

"Damn!" Kisuke hissed, "And with Tetsuya with Renji in the Rukongai, we don't know what happened to him."

"I think that we just received a first look at that young man's power," Byakuya said darkly, "He was able to overcome Arashi in an instant. We must find them quickly!"

"Can you get a direction on them?" asked Ichigo, looking around.

Byakuya focused carefully, turning this way and that, then shaking his head worriedly.

"I can sense nothing...nothing at all."

"Byakuya, what are you saying?" Ichigo demanded, "What happened to them?"

"I don't know," Byakuya confessed, his lips tightening with concern, "I cannot sense Arashi or the boy at all!"


	4. Enter the Dream

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ren uses his emerging powers to escape the shinigamis.

"So what were you able to learn from them?" Tetsuya asked as Renji emerged from the orphanage and took up a guard position beside the noble, "Does Ren's story check out?"

"Yeah, actually, it does," Renji affirmed, shaking his head and sighing in frustration, "But although his adoptive parents were able to confirm what the guy told us, we are still a long way from understanding who would want to kidnap him and take him to Las Noches. He's got no connection to Aizen Sousuke that we know of, so it's unlikely he would have gone there willingly to help him. But then, what the hell was he doing there?"

"Did he go there on his own?" Tetsuya mused, "Or was he, indeed, abducted and taken there? He doesn't seem to have a reason to have gone there, himself."

"So, if we figure that he was grabbed and taken there, then there may be something about him that made someone want to do that...some physical thing or some power."

"But, as of yet, there is no clue as to what it was that would have made someone want to do that," Tetsuya sighed in frustration.

"And with him living in this part of the Rukongai, where full records of the citizens aren't even kept, there aren't that many places we can find information. We've already asked everyone we can find who knows this kid," Renji added.

"Well, we cannot simply return to my cousin empty-handed," Tetsuya insisted, "We must carefully retrace our steps and be sure we have left no stone unturned. "

"You've got that right," Renji agreed, "We'll keep watch here tonight and keep on looking in the morning. Maybe we missed something or someone who can make some sense of all of this."

"I hope so," Tetsuya sighed, sitting down beneath a tree and leaning back against it.

Renji smiled down at him, then joined him there. They looked up through the tree branches at the bright, full moon, admiring the bluish halo around it.

"That's really something," Renji said, observing Tetsuya's comely profile as the raven-haired noble continued to fasten his gaze upward.

The redhead's arm curled around Tetsuya, bringing a blush to the noble's fine features and igniting a very intense response in Renji's warm loins. And as much as Tetsuya had tried to escape him before, the noble sat quietly, allowing the closer contact and only stiffening slightly for a moment before relaxing again.

"See, this isn't so bad, ne Tetsuya?" Renji asked, his smile warming the raven-haired beauty to the tips of his toes, "Just sitting under this pretty moon, my arm around you and sharing some kisses?"

"I find that idea pleasant," Tetsuya answered, heat flaring on his skin, "Only do not become so focused on me that you forget why we came here."

"Deal," Renji said, closing on Tetsuya's solemn lips and teasing them into a smile with a sweet, nuzzling kiss, "Ah...now, shoot, you made my mind go blank for a minute there, Tetsuya. That's a pretty powerful little smile you have there."

"R-renji..."

His heart fluttered fitfully as the redhead's hands captured his face and Renji's lips caressed his more hungrily. His eyes closed and his heart pounded harder.

"That fleabag horse of yours isn't around here, is he?" Renji breathed into the pale shell of an ear and bringing a lovely flush to the noble's skin, "I don't want him showing up and ruining the mood."

"Arashi is in Karakura Town," Tetsuya managed around another sweltering kiss. He can still sense my riled reiatsu and speak into my mind, but I think he is focused on his guard duty there."

"Good," the redhead whispered, nibbling gently at the soft, sensitive flesh beneath Tetsuya's chin, "No interruptions. So...you said you were riled?"

"I feel a bit dizzy."

"You're breathing too fast," Renji chuckled softly, "Try to relax. I'm not gonna do anything you don't want me too. You want me to stop and I'll stop, okay?"

"Okay," Tetsuya, "I am sorry, Renji-san, but..."

"Renji," the redhead whispered, kissing his way down the gentle slope of a fine collarbone, "Just Renji."

"Renji," Tetsuya whispered back to him, "I am sorry to be so...so..."

"Hey," the redhead said, caressing the noble's soft face and smiling warmly, "You're a shy person. I get that. You don't have to feel bad about taking your time. Just don't be surprised I feel like eating you up all at once."

"Renji!" Tetsuya gasped as the giggling redhead went after his throat again.

"Gods, you're cute, Tetsuya!" he chuckled, seeking the noble's lips again and plunging deeply into his mouth.

Tetsuya reeled at the warm, attractive taste of his red-haired suitor, his member throbbing wantonly between his trembling thighs and his slender hands holding on tightly to the other man's shoulders. He closed his eyes against the heady sensation and opened them again to find that he had been laid very gently on his back, beneath the tree. Renji's friendly, red-brown eyes gazed down into his, watching his reaction very closely.

"Tetsuya, would it be all right if I just looked at you for a minute?"

"Oh, Renji, I don't know. I..."

"I give you my word, I won't do anything. I just...want to see if when I imagine seeing you naked in the moonlight, I'm imagining you right."

"Abarai-san!"

"Hey, what happened to 'Renji' huh?" the redhead laughed, "I just want to see you...all of you, please?"

Tetsuya started to refuse, but found he couldn't look into those handsome, affectionate eyes and say anything but...

"Y-yes, all right," he said finally, closing his eyes and turning his head aside.

His heart throbbed painfully in his chest as he felt a gentle tug on the tie at his waist, and the redhead's hands slowly bared him. Then a warm palm cupped his cheek and he managed to force his eyes open. He froze as he realized that, not only had his pale, lovely body been uncovered, but that Renji had bared himself equally. He would have turned away, but was stricken and held in place by the enchanting vision of the redhead's tanned and attractively tattooed body and the even more beautiful, masculine scent of him. He couldn't think of a word to say, but only gazed raptly up at Renji, while the redhead's eyes admired his moonlit form and his lips smiled contentedly.

"Beautiful," he said, very softly, leaning forward and setting the noble's clothing back in place, "Thank you, Tetsuya."

Tetsuya remained silent as Renji covered himself again, then slid shakenly into the redhead's arms, kissing him enthusiastically and regretting the shyness that had prevented him asking Renji to touch more of him. Without quite realizing what he was doing, he moved forward onto the redhead's lap, catching a surprised breath as their piqued members touched through their clothes.

"Are you teasing me, Tetsuya?" Renji asked, nipping his earlobe.

"I don't mean to tease, I just..."

The words left him, and he bit at his lips anxiously. Renji grinned and slid a hand down his back, curving it around his bottom and coaxing him into moving so that it caused friction between them.

"Oh!" Tetsuya gasped softly, "That is...!"

Renji's other hand moved to join the first, encouraging the slow, grinding motion of Tetsuya's slender hips. Their breath shortened and their kisses increased in depth and ferocity as the two approached climax. Tetsuya blushed and turned his head away as he felt himself being overwhelmed, But Renji's hands captured his face and brought their eyes together as the sweet shudders of orgasm began. They surrendered to a final bout of powerful, open-mouthed kisses, then laid down on their backs, looking up at the stars.

"I can't tell which ones of those are really there and which ones you just made me see!" Renji laughed softly.

"I think my head is equally muddled," Tetsuya admitted, "It's a good thing Aizen Sousuke didn't appear and do something horrid to us while we were distracted. You should really get some rest and let me take the first watch tonight."

"Ah, you're probably right," Renji yawned, rolling over and stretching out on the surprised noble's chest.

"Ahem, Renji, how am I supposed to keep watch with you holding me down?"

"Well, you could always..."

He broke off suddenly as Tetsuya's eyes widened and his face went deathly pale.

"Tetsuya, what's wrong?" he asked urgently, sitting up alongside the reeling noble.

"I...I don't know!" Tetsuya gasped, "It's Arashi. I felt a surge of some kind of power strike him and then he disappeared from my mind! He is...!"

Renji's eyes rounded as Tetsuya stiffened, then slowly his body began to fade.

"Tetsuya, what's happening to you?" the redhead cried, surging forward and trying to hold onto the fading shinigami.

"I'm being p-pulled inward!" Tetsuya managed, his voice starting to fade out, "Renji, go to Byakuya-sama and tell him quickly!"

Renji stared in shock as Tetsuya disappeared completely, leaving him alone under the tree. He jumped to his feet and opened a senkaimon, then plunged inside, flash stepping as fast as he could towards Karakura Town.

"Hang in there, Tetsuya!" he panted, "We're gonna find you, okay?"

 

XXXXXXXXXX

Tetsuya crashed down into his inner world, plunging into water, then recovering and swimming swiftly to the surface. His head broke the surface of the water, and he heard Arashi's anxious whinny, somewhere nearby. He hastened to the shore and flash stepped in the direction of the sound, sliding to a stop as the blue pixie-like spirit of his zanpakutou appeared between the cornered stallion and him.

"What are you doing?" Tetsuya gasped as a volley of ice blades erupted from the spirit's hands, "And who is that with Arashi? Answer me, Re-kuhime!"

"I do not answer to you," the spirit said coldly, her ice-blue eyes fixing on his widened ones as she loosed another powerful attack.

Tetsuya flash stepped clear of the spirit, then dashed past her, loosing a cluster of waterform copies of himself to hide his movements.

"You think I cannot see through those?" the angry spirit hissed, "Think again, intruder!"

"Intruder?" Tetsuya mused, dodging as the spirit struck at him again, "This is my inner world...ours! Why would you call me intruder? Has that man done something to your mind?"

"What are you going on about, intruder?" Re-kuhime demanded, "And don't bother trying to escape me. I am not going to let you go!"

Tetsuya reached the rearing stallion and flash stepped to his side, locking eyes with the man who had been closing in on the stallion.

"That is far enough!" he cried warningly, "What are you doing here? What are doing to my stallion and my zanpakutou?"

The young man didn't answer, but gazed at him curiously as Re-kuhime joined him and waited quietly by his side.

"I know you are Ren, that man from the Rukongai that we found in Las Noches," Tetsuya went on, "Why did you come here and what were you trying to do to Arashi? Tell me!"

"I don't want to hurt you," said Ren warningly, his eyes glowing a darker, more dangerous red-golden color and his reiatsu thickening around him, "But they wouldn't let me leave. I just wanted to go home. I tried to leave and your horse got in my way."

Tetsuya rubbed Arashi's neck bracingly, speaking a few soothing words to the nervous stallion, then addressing the Rukon youth again.

"I understand that you were frightened, being held by us like that, but you must understand that if you are connected in some way to Aizen Sousuke, we need to know. The traitor has escaped and we are trying to find and stop him before he attempts to harm anyone. You don't want to hurt anyone, you said. If that is true, then please, allow us to return to Karakura Town. We will talk, and we needn't have to chance anyone being hurt."

Ren considered the words for several long moments, still gazing into Tetsuya's widened sapphire eyes. Finally, he sighed and lowered his own eyes.

"I am sorry, shinigami noble," he said, shaking his head, "They saw me force my way into Arashi's inner world. They won't let me go unless they have no choice."

"What are you going to do?" Tetsuya demanded, raising his weapon warningly as Ren's sword came up and began to blaze a harsh, bright gold color.

"I am taking away their choices. If my power overcomes you, they will be more wary about following me. This is a warning, noble. When they wake you, tell them to leave me alone or I will strike to kill next time!"

"Stop!" cried Tetsuya, launching a volley of ice blades as Arashi did the same.

To their horror, Re-kuhime raised a hand and shattered their attacks, leaving them completely defenseless as Ren's power connected with them. The two felt a wrapping around of that blazing reiatsu, then found themselves falling.

Tetsuya crashed down onto hard, cold stone, reeling as he immediately felt the lash of a whip across his back. He turned in surprise, coming to his knees and locking eyes with a guard he remembered.

"Shigeru?" he whispered in horror.

He looked around in surprise at the changed environs.

"Kami, this is...this is Itamigiri?"

"Move along! Back to your cell, little rat!" the guard snapped, giving him a rough shove, "Or do you need another beating while you're still bleeding from the last?"

"This can't be!" Tetsuya gasped, his eyes rounding, "What did that man do to me? Where is Arashi? Have we left our inner world? What is happening?"

"Shut up, you little toad!"

"What is happening here?" asked a deeper male voice that sent hard shivers down Tetsuya's spine and weakened his legs beneath him, "Is my cousin giving you trouble, Shigeru? Here, be on your way. I will handle this."

He closed in on Tetsuya, who backed away on his hands and knees.

"What are you doing here, Orochi?" he demanded, "How is this happening?"

Then, Tetsuya remembered the last word that had trickled through, just before he and Arashi had been hit with the strange young man's power.

_Akumu..._

_Then, this is...a nightmare? But it feels so real! I must wake up._

He continued to back away as Orochi took the whip from the guard and slowly backed him into a corner.

"This isn't real!" Tetsuya screamed, "I have to wake up! WAKE UP!"

Orochi's hand took hold of his clothing and the whip snapped across his cheek, drawing blood.

Tetsuya touched it with a shaking fingertip, staring up at his wicked cousin with disbelieving eyes.

"It can't be real! Byakuya-sama rescued me! Orochi..."

Orochi threw him back against the wall, pinning him in place and moving in close.

"You tell me if this feels real to you, Cousin," Orochi hissed, his lips curling into an evil smile.

But all that Tetsuya could do as he struck again was to scream endlessly.

 

XXXXXXXXXX

Ren shivered slightly as Tetsuya and Arashi were overcome and sent crashing back down into Karakura Town.

_I am sorry. I didn't want to hurt you, but they had to learn that I won't let them keep me a prisoner. I am sure that once I am gone, Urahara-san can free you from the nightmares. I really don't want anything bad to happen to you._

He turned and used his power to make Re-kuhime sleep as well.

"I am going now. When you wake, please apologize to your master for me. I can tell that he is a good person. I wish it hadn't been him I had to make an example of. Tell him that if no one tries to find me again, I won't use my power to hurt them. But if they do come for me, I will defend myself."

He left the spirit sleeping and headed in the direction Tetsuya had come from. He exited from the place the young noble had entered and came down in the Rukongai, under a large tree a short distance from his parents' house. Ren looked around quickly, but found himself alone.

_I can't stay here. Aizen will be looking for me and so will those shinigamis. But I can't go back to the living world either. I will have to go deeper into the Rukongai. And I must not use my powers unless I have to. If I do, either the shinigamis or Aizen will sense me!_

He slipped around to the back of the house and entered through his bedroom window. The room was quiet and he heard soft voices in a nearby room.

"I am worried, Michio. He never came back and he didn't leave word. That is not like him. I think that something has happened to him."

"I agree," said the old man, "But there is nothing we can do until morning. We will go to the town official's office tomorrow and report him missing."

"What about the shinigamis that were here? Aren't they still outside?" Noa asked.

"No, I sensed their reiatsu moving away. I guess that they sensed something and went to investigate," Michio answered, "Besides, if Aizen Sousuke is involved, what could the shinigamis do, anyway? If that man is loose again and he wants our Ren, what can anyone do to stop him?"

Ren gathered a few necessary items and a small amount of money, then left a short note apologizing to his adoptive parents. He left his room and slipped away quickly, heading for the lower Rukongai.


	5. Breaking

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ren discovers the hard way that his powers are unexpectedly dangerous.

Kisuke watched with concerned eyes as Orihime's golden light surrounded the collapsed bodies of Tetsuya and his stallion, and infused the two quickly with her power. Byakuya and Ichigo stood nearby, watching closely. And a teary-eyed Rukia observed from where she sat at her human friend's side.

"Are they going to be all right?" she asked shakenly.

"I can heal them," Orihime assured her and the others, "The reiatsu around them is difficult to penetrate, but I can do it."

"They weren't showing any signs of life when they appeared," Ichigo mused, keeping an arm around his anxious noble lover as Byakuya gazed intently down at his cousin, "Are they...?"

"They are alive," Orihime assured him, "I got them breathing again and their hearts are beating. I just have to stabilize them and they should be all right. But..."

"What is it?" Kisuke asked, frowning, "Is there something wrong?"

"Well," Orihime said, gazing down at Tetsuya, "Their bodies are functional, but the reiatsu that is affecting them still seems to be affecting their minds. I have to break the hold of that power on their minds before they can wake up."

Comprehension flickered in Kisuke's gray eyes.

"I may be able to help you with that. You focus on healing their bodies and I'll go and set a few things up in my lab. I'll be back."

Ichigo's eyes followed the shopkeeper as he ascended the training room ladder and moved back into the shop above them, then he turned his gaze on Byakuya's unhappy face and kissed him to get his attention.

"Hey, they're gonna be all right. Orihime kept them from dying and Kisuke will wake them up."

"I know," Byakuya said softly, his eyes still on Tetsuya's still form, "but what worries me is that boy."

"Yeah," Ichigo agreed, "He didn't seem like a bad person. It just seemed like he wanted to get away. But he almost killed Tetsuya and Arashi..."

"And that does not meld at all with the kind of person he seems to be," Byakuya concluded.

"So, you're worried that he might have been deceiving us about what kind of person he is..."

"That, or if not, then there is a more disturbing possibility."

"And that is?"

"If he was deceiving us and he truly wished us ill, he would have hit my cousin with his full power."

"It kinda looks like he did, which doesn't bode well."

"But, if he was being honest with us before and he really is not a violent person, then that means he did this much damage to Tetsuya while holding back."

"Shit..." Ichigo breathed, studying the injured shinigami, "If that's the case, then we're talking about some damned serious power!"

"Yes," the noble agreed, his frown deepening, "And if indeed, he is that powerful..."

"Then he's dangerous to anyone who crosses his path."

"Yes. And that being the case, if Central 46 hears of him causing deaths, then he will become a fugitive, whether he meant to hurt anyone or not."

"Damn...what do we do?" Ichigo mused.

"We need to find him," Byakuya said, his head turning as a flash step sounded and Renji burst into the training grounds.

"Taichou!" he cried frantically, "It's Tetsuya. He...!"

The redhead broke off, staring at the younger noble and his collapsed stallion.

"How did he get here?" Renji queried. looking confused.

"What happened in the Rukongai, Renji?" Byakuya asked quickly, "Do you know what happened to my cousin?"

"I don't know!" the redhead said, shaking his head, "One second we were watching over that kid's folks and the next, Tetsuya started to just...fade out! He didn't know what was happening, except that he said it felt like he was being pulled inward."

"Inward," Byakuya repeated.

"What does that mean?" Ichigo wondered aloud.

"It could mean that he was taken to his inner world," the noble suggested.

"Maybe they both were," offered Ichigo.

"And if so, then that may be where Ren went when he and Arashi disappeared."

"Kuchiki taichou," Orihime said suddenly, bringing the men to Tetsuya's side, "There is something that I noticed about Tetsuya-san and Arashi's injuries."

"What is it?" asked Rukia.

"The reiatsu around their wounds," the human girl stated, "Some is from Ren, but some isn't."

"Then, whose is it?" Byakuya asked worriedly, "It wasn't Aizen's!"

"No," Orihime said, frowning, "This is...it appears to be reiatsu from their own zanpakutou!"

"What?" Ichigo, Renji and Rukia gasped together.

"Then...Re-kuhime also attacked them?" Byakuya queried, disbelievingly, "Why would she side with their enemy? Could this be the boy's power? He enters the opponent's inner world and overtakes the will of the person's own zanpakutou?"

"But his own reiatsu is in them too," said Orihime, "And as I said before, it is doing something to their minds. They are both really frightened right now, even though they are not awake."

"Frightened..." Byakuya whispered, "Their minds are being besieged, but by what?"

"I can't say," Orihime said worriedly, "but it seems like they're having nightmares."

"Nightmares?" Ichigo queried.

"From which they cannot awaken," Byakuya breathed anxiously.

"You can wake them, can't you?" Renji asked urgently, "Orihime?"

"I don't know," the girl said, shaking her head, "The reiatsu around their minds is difficult to reject. It reminds me of when Ichigo fought Ulquiorra. I could not reject reiatsu that strong."

"You have to wake them," Renji said, taking Tetsuya's limp hand and bringing it to his lips, "Please, do all you can."

"It may be beyond the scope of Orihime's reject power," Kisuke said, dropping down into the training area and approaching the gathered shinigamis, "But I think that with time I can break through it. They seem stable physically now. Let's bring them upstairs."

"Okay," Renji said, kissing Tetsuya on the forehead, then lifting his unconscious boyfriend into his arms, "I'll carry Tetsuya. You guys can deal with how to get his horse up that ladder!"

XXXXXXXXXX

Ren sighed wearily as he entered a town in the west 64th district and headed for what looked to be the gathering place in town, a small, friendly looking bar and inn. He passed through the doors, looking around and spotting an empty seat at the bar. He crossed the room and sat down, noticing right away that the barkeep was eyeing him with more than a passing interest.

_I have to conserve money, and this looks like an opportunity to do that._

He smiled at the man as he approached and observed the younger man with an approving expression.

"What can I get you?"

"The house brew," Ren said easily, leaning forward slightly to rub his feet and giving the other man a nice view of the dragon tattoo that ran around his throat and the area beneath his shirt.

"You've been on your feet for awhile, ne?" the man surmised, "Would you like a room for the night?"

"Maybe," said Ren, lowering his eyes, "but I am short of funds. I did notice that you walk with a limp. I have some healing skill and I am trained in deep massage. Could I convince you to let me exchange those services for a night's room and perhaps dinner?"

The barkeep thought for a moment, then nodded.

"Fair enough."

He turned to the cook that was working in the back.

"Nobu, an order of the stew and some fresh bread."

He winked at Ren and the younger man smiled gamely.

"He looks half dead from walking all day."

The man set Ren's drink in front of him and continued to converse casually with him as other customers came and went. Ren devoured the stew and bread hungrily, then downed several glasses of ale before yawning sleepily.

"It's time for me to be off," said the barkeep, "My relief just got here. Come on, you can give me that massage and we'll call it even, okay?"

"That sounds fair," Ren answered, getting up to follow the man down the hallway.

They stopped at a room at the end of the hall and the barkeep unlocked the door.

"By the way, the name's Toru."

"I'm Ren."

"I'm glad you came through town, Ren. My back and leg have been bothering me for a while and nothing seems to help. It's another week until the healer comes through, so, I could really use some relief."

"Well," Ren replied, eyeing the man somewhat flirtatiously, "I think I can help you."

"Good," Toru answered, waiting as he entered the room, then closing and locking the door behind him, "Bathroom's in there. There should be a clean yukata hanging on the back of the door."

"Thanks," Ren said, stepping into the bathroom and closing the door.

He slipped out of his clothes and into the more comfortable yukata, then returned to the bedroom to find Toru undressed and sitting on the bed.

"Take off your yukata and lie on your stomach," Ren instructed him, "I'll start with a basic massage, then hone in on the trouble areas.

"Hmmm..." Toru sighed sleepily.

He groaned contentedly as Ren began working at the muscles of his neck, shoulder s and back, carefully locating the tender spots and infusing them with healing power.

"Are you with anyone, Ren?" the man asked quietly.

"Not at the moment. No."

"Hmmm."

Ren's fingers flared softly with increased healing power, and he returned to the painful spots and carefully infused them, then began a deeper massage.

"Kami, that feels good," Toru sighed, "Those are some magical hands you have, Ren."

"Thanks," Ren said, letting his fingers run lightly down the man's back, then working at the trouble spots a final time.

"That's the best I've felt in weeks," Toru said in a lower, more relaxed voice,"I am grateful. Now...why don't you let me thank you."

Ren smirked knowingly and allowed the man to bring him down on his back, then smiled up at him.

"And how do you plan to do that?" he asked seductively.

Toru answered with a barrage of warm, biting kisses down the side of Ren's face and neck.

_It's not bad, I guess. He's good looking and seems like a good guy. Neither of us is bound to anyone and it's kind of nice not to feel alone._

He relaxed as the man undressed him and began a slow exploration of his beautifully tattooed body.

"You're quite the work of art," Toru said, admiring the snake tattoo that meandered around his slender hips and the flushed and aroused genitals beneath it.

He lowered himself between the younger man's thighs, Kissing his way along each soft inner thigh, then teasing the soft scrotum with his lips. Toru's eyes closed and he breathed in Ren's warm, youthful scent, sucking and licking luxuriantly, treasuring one blushing testicle, then moving on to the other. A delicious shudder passed through Ren's body and he arched his back wantonly, encouraging the other man as he ran his tongue up the younger man's flushed and leaking penis. As h wrapped his mouth around the slick head, he invaded the younger man's entrance with a wetted finger.

"Ah!" Ren gasped, raising his hips, as Toru's finger pushed in deeply, then teased his sensitive prostate, "Aw fuck, that feels so good!"

Toru smiled warmly, his eyes following the attractive expanse of the markings on Ren's tattooed flesh and a second finger joining the first inside the younger man.

"I want to see those things dance," Toru panted, rolling onto his back and coaxing Ren into mounting him.

Ren settled onto the man slowly, lacing his fingers together with Toru's and moaning heatedly as Toru's thick cock slid into his undulating body. Lovely, wanton sounds continued to emerge from his parted lips as he ground erotically against the elder man. Toru's eyes darkened and he thrust hard and fast into Ren, grabbing at his slender hips and moaning appreciatively.

"Oh! Oh gods...s-so good!" he panted, thrashing beneath Ren as he approached climax.

Ren clenched at the bedding with his fingers, groaning indulgently as the two of them climaxed together and fell into a final flurry of hard, wet kisses. Ren dropped down beside the older man, his body still humming with pleasure and his lips smiling.

"That was some healing," Toru said, coaxing Ren onto his chest and letting his fingers run lightly along his back and over his bare bottom as he yawned and blinked sleepily.

"I enjoyed it as well," Ren agreed, "But I am really tired now. I think I'll need the key to my room.

"Why don't you just stay with me?" Toru offered, "Go on to sleep. No need to get up."

"Are you sure I will get any sleep here with you?" Ren laughed lazily, "I think you might keep me up all night."

"So, you can sleep in as late as you want, free of charge," Toru offered, "Wait, think about it for a minute. I'll go and make some tea."

Ren chuckled and rolled onto his belly, pretending to doze as the other man walked across the room and began to prepare the tea. Out of the corner of a mostly closed eye, Ren saw the man glance over his shoulder, then add something to one of the cups.

_Great...just when I was really beginning to think this was a genuinely nice guy too..._

He continued pretending to doze as Toru returned and set the tea on the nightstand, then accepted the cup and feigned taking a sip. A moment later, he made a sound of dismay as he let it slip from his hand and onto the floor.

"S-sorry!" he apologized hastily.

He recovered himself quickly, nicking the cup out of Toru's hand and sipping at it, then handing it back to him.

"We can just share. You don't have to make more. I'm too sleepy to drink more anyway," Ren said, laying down.

Toru chuckled and stepped away again, watching as Ren appeared to drop off to sleep again. He washed the dirty dishes slowly, glancing back at the apparently sleeping man in his bed, then slipping his hands into a drawer and removing a set of handcuffs, a length of rope and a handkerchief to use as a blindfold. He crept back to the bed and sat down carefully, reaching for one of Ren's wrists, then moving to close a handcuff around it.

"What are you doing?" Ren gasped, tearing his hand away and backing up against the wall as Toru smiled seductively.

"Sorry to startle you," he said calmly, "I was just wanting a little bit of gentle kink...you know, a little binding to liven things up?"

"I don't think so," Ren answered, his eyes glinting, "I think I'm gonna go now. I have a ways to go."

"What're you rushing off for?" Toru asked, "Didn't you like having sex with me? It was good, right?"

"Yeah, but I don't like my tea being poisoned with sleep remedy and someone wanting to tie me up and do kami knows what with me. We had a deal. I held up my end. Hell, I even liked that we ended up having sex. But no one ties me up without my okay."

"You're pretty spirited," Toru said appreciatively, "With a little bit of work, you'll make a real good whore. I can make a lot of money off a beauty like you, so...I think you're gonna stay here!"

Toru lunged forward, tackling Ren and struggling to capture his wrists. The younger man struggled and twisted madly, starting to pull free, but then gasping as Toru dragged him down again and struck him across the face. Stars exploded before his eyes and he felt his consciousness slipping. Panic flooded his veins and he felt the core of his power flutter, then surge.

Light flashed around the two men and Ren heard Toru scream in terror. Opening his eyes, he saw the barkeep had fallen onto his back and was thrashing and screaming as though something horrible was happening. Ren grabbed his clothes and climbed out a window as something crashed into the door and several people burst into the room he had just exited.

Toru's screams died down into a pained gurgle, then stopped.

"What happened to him?" said a feminine voice, "Is he all right."

"He's not okay," said a second voice, "He's dead."

_Dead? Ren mused, My power...killed him?_

He saw a flash image in his mind of Tetsuya, trying desperately to shield Arashi and himself as Ren's power came down on them.

_Does this mean that...I might have killed Tetsuya-san too?_

_I didn't mean to! Not even this guy who attacked me. I didn't want to! ___

_What is this power I have? Is this why Aizen wants me? He wants to control this power?_

"I saw him come in here with that young guy with the black and purple hair and dragon tattoo around his throat."

"We should call Yoshinori to investigate. I don't know what that kid did to him, but he's stone cold dead!

_My power killed somebody. I can't control it! What do I do?_

_What the hell do I do now?_

Ren fled the town, tears of dismay streaming down his face and with no idea where he could go to hide from himself.


	6. The Fugitive

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Central 46 issues a command for Ren's detainment.

"Kuchiki Rukia," said Kyouraku soutaichou, nodding in the young woman's direction as she knelt to give her report, "What is the situation with the young man that Kuchiki taichou's team found in Hueco Mundo? I understand that he attacked your cousin. Is Tetsuya-san all right?"

"Tetsuya was still unconscious when I left," Rukia explained, "but Kisuke said he was sure now that both Tetsuya and his Arashi will make a full recovery. Kisuke also said that it was clear that the boy, Ren did not intend to do serious damage to Tetsuya and Arashi. It seems that he was simply trying to get away and thought to use his powers to warn off any pursuit. Unfortunately, as his powers are new to him, he is not able to fully control them. My brother says that he is sure with proper guidance, he can bring Ren's powers under control."

"That is good," Kyouraku replied, "but...until they are under control, he is dangerous. And unfortunately, word has reached Central 46 about an incident in the lower Rukongai. A man was killed after being seen with the boy."

"What?" Rukia queried, alarm rising in her eyes.

"We aren't sure what the situation was exactly. Apparently, he and the man, a barkeeper at a local inn, went to the barkeeper's room and had sex with each other. Then...something happened. There was some kind of scuffle, and something killed the barkeeper."

"Something killed him?" Rukia repeated, blinking.

"The boy, Ren's, reiatsu was sensed around the dead man, and the ones who found his body said that it looked as though he had died of fright."

"That's horrible," Rukia said softly, her eyes troubled, "But Kyouraku soutaichou, we do not believe this boy is inherently violent. If he killed that man, it must have been in self defense."

"That may be," Kyouraku sighed, "but the Central 46 council isn't so sure. And we have a death on our hands. The council has ordered me to issue a warrant for the boy's arrest and detainment for questioning."

"But...!"

"Kuchiki Rukia," the captain commander said, eyeing her meaningfully, "The order will leave my hands in one hour. After that, if he is found by our forces, he must be turned over to Central 46. Be sure that your brother understands this, okay?"

"Ah!" Rukia said, comprehension lighting her face, "Yes, of course, Kyouraku soutaichou. I will make sure that Kuchiki taichou is informed at once of the situation!"

"You do that," Kyouraku chuckled, watching Rukia flash step away.

"Is there trouble?" asked Juushiro, entering the first division headquarters, "That was Rukia, ne?"

"Yes, it was. It seems that the boy they found in Hueco Mundo's sprouting some pretty serious powers. Central 46 wants him apprehended."

"And you?"

"I think we need to take our time about this and find out what the deal is with this kid before we go off half-cocked and they just either throw him in the Maggot's Nest or have him executed."

"They do tend to act very quickly," Juushiro agreed, "And there's a time for that, but..."

"There's something else strange about this whole thing. I don't know for completely sure yet, but the initial results that Kurotsuchi taichou obtained have matched Urahara Kisuke's initial results."

"What?" Juushiro queried, looking alarmed.

"Yeah it's wierd," Shunsui said, shaking his head and frowning worriedly, "So, we're checking again for final confirmation, but, barring some strange twist, it's probable that it will be confirmed that the boy is the child of both Aizen Sousuke and Urahara Kisuke."

"But, how is that possible when we know that Kisuke would never have joined Aizen to do something like that? They have never seen eye to eye, even before Aizen's betrayal and defection. Why would Kisuke ever do something like that? Some strange case of opposites attracting?" Juushiro mused darkly.

"I think it's more likely that Aizen was using his illusions for more than just hiding his betrayal and the path of his research. I'll just come out and say it. If the kid's Aizen's and his, then what brought those two guys together was nothing like love."

"You think Aizen raped him?"

"Well, I don't know," Kyouraku concluded, "But whether or not he raped Kisuke, he may have caused the birth of this boy, Ren, somehow. And now Ren is beginning to exhibit very strong powers that he can't really seem to control. He disappeared from his hometown and was found in Las Noches, with no clue as to how he got there. Harribel claims not to know him."

"Do you believe her?" Juushiro inquired, "I know that they're our allies since the quincy war, but..."

"But that doesn't mean that we're best buddies or that she wouldn't conceal what she knew to protect her own people. So, I'm gonna conclude that Aizen grabbed the boy and took him to Las Noches. He may have tried to jigger with Ren's mind or powers and unlocked whatever had been holding back his powers until now. That tells me that Aizen had a plan for Ren from the start."

"And that means that he isn't going to give up for the asking. He's going to try to get to the boy, wherever he goes. And the fact that Ren attempted to run suggests that he's aware Aizen's gunning for him."

"Yeah, and correct me if I'm wrong, but Central 46 has kind of a bad record of keeping their 'persons of interest' safe and alive. I want to know what's going on with that boy, and I want Aizen caught and brought back. We've just been through two pretty costly wars and we don't need a third, you know?"

"You can say that again!" Juushiro agreed.

"Come on," Shunsui said, smiling wearily and slipping a hand into Juushiro's.

"Where are we going?" the white haired shinigami asked, smirking slightly.

"I need to do some thinking, and I think better after I've been fed. You know that," the captain commander answered, seeking Juushiro's smiling lips.

"Hmmm, yes, I do," the thirteenth division taichou laughed softly, walking backwards as they kissed, "Me too."

XXXXXXXXXX

"Hey, come on, beautiful," Renji said worriedly, "You've been sleeping for a really long time. You wanna open your pretty blue eyes for me?"

Tetsuya stirred very slightly, bringing a sad smile to the redhead's lips.

"That's good," he whispered, leaning forward and placing a tender kiss on the noble's frowning lips, "Come on, Tetsuya, wake up, please? I need you to wake up."

"R-ren...ji?" Tetsuya breathed almost senselessly, his eyes beginning to crack open.

"That's right, gorgeous," Renji said, kissing Tetsuya's lips and making them smile sleepily, "I'm right here with you. I'm not gonna leave you alone for a second."

He grinned and chuckled to himself.

"You and that fleabag horse of yours get into way too much trouble!" the redhead concluded.

"Renji!" Tetsuya gasped, coming fully awake and seeking the redhead's arms frantically.

He closed his eyes tightly, a haunted look on his youthful features, "Oh, Renji, it was horrible! Is...is Arashi all right?"

"Yeah, yeah, don't worry," Renji said, finding Tetsuya's lips and caressing them soothingly with his, "You're both gonna be fine, okay?"

"But, Ren? Wh-where...?"

"We don't know," Renji said, shaking his head and frowning, "Taichou and Ichigo went looking for him."

"That is best," Tetsuya sighed, "He has a very dangerous power."

"Yeah, we figured. But we needed you to confirm things. Look, I'm gonna go for a second and get you some fresh tea, and also call Kisuke in here. You be okay for a minute?"

"Yes, I'll be fine now, Renji. Thank you for your concern," Tetsuya said, blushing, "I feel much better."

"Yeah, well, lie back down until I get back, all right? You just woke up and you've been through a lot, so take it easy and don't rush to be up and around."

"I won't," Tetsuya chuckled softly, "I will stay right here. I promise."

He watched as Renji left, then laid back on his pillow, blinking as he looked up at the white ceiling and couldn't help remembering. Flashes of fear nagged at him as he recalled the conflict in his inner world, and Tetsuya shivered and tightened his closed eyes as the memory of the nightmares attacked his mind and brought tears to his eyes.

_It was horrible! It was so real. I knew it wasn't real, but it felt that way anyway. So awful!_

Tetsuya felt the touch of concerned eyes and opened his, wondering who it could be. He sucked in a surprised breath and his eyes rounded as he found himself looking at the young man who had attacked him.

"What are you doing here?" Tetsuya demanded, his voice and body shaking, "G-get away from me!"

"No, no, Tetsuya-san, I didn't come here to hurt you! Please," Ren pleaded, "I was...worried."

Tetsuya noticed then, that the younger man was looking down at his hands and that his hands were shaking too.

"I was...s-scared, you know?" he said, his breathing quickening, "I told you I only wanted to get away. B-but, I really hurt you and I didn't mean to do that, Tetsuya-san. Please, you must believe me!"

Tetsuya remained stiffened, but looked back at Ren and waited silently for him to go on.

"I'm not used to having any kind of powers," Ren explained, "and when I was taken to Hueco Mundo, I think Aizen Sousuke must have done something to unlock them. Now, it seems like they can overcome my will! If I feel threatened, they can make me kill. But I don't want to do that. It's just...something happened in the Rukongai. A man attacked me, and it made my powers go out of control. I think I killed him. And even though I was defending myself, I swear, I didn't want to kill him."

He paused, shaking harder and breaking out in a nervous sweat.

"I ran from that place, but as I ran, all I could think about was if maybe I had killed you too, Tetsuya-san! I was tormented by that because you didn't even try to hurt me. I don't know how to convince you I'm telling the truth, but...there is something I can do to help you."

"What? N-no, don't!" Tetsuya cried, a haunted look in his sapphire eyes as he cringed and leaned away.

"Shh, it's all right," Ren said, gently touching the other man's face and loosing a small flicker of his reiatsu.

Tetsuya recoiled, then the terror that had risen in his dark eyes calmed, and he fell back, a peaceful, calm lassitude taking over as comforting sleep claimed him again.

"I didn't realize that this was related to the powers I have. This is an ability I used to soothe the other children at the shelter where I lived when they would have bad dreams. This power is not harmful, but is a type of healing I am familiar with. Please rest now. Your dreams should only be pleasant."

He caressed the sleeping noble's cheek lightly, a relieved look on his face as he felt the hold his power had exerted over Tetsuya weaken and fade.

"I am sorry, Tetsuya-san," he whispered, "Please believe me, I am so very sorry I hurt you and your Arashi."

"What are you doing to him?" Renji's voice demanded from the doorway, startling Ren and making him rise and back away from Tetsuya, his hands raised defensively.

"I'm not hurting him, I swear!" Ren said quickly, "Renji-san, I came back because I wanted to make sure that I hadn't...that my powers hadn't..."

Tears leaked onto the young man's face as he looked back at Tetsuya.

"You can see for yourself. I didn't hurt him. I only removed the lingering traces of my power from his body and gave him a more peaceful sleep. I felt bad about hurting him. I was just trying to get away before. But...I..."

Renji's narrowed eyes glared at him for a moment longer, then softened.

"Something bad happened while you were in the Rukongai, didn't it?" Renji asked.

"Y-yeah," Ren confessed, wiping away a tear, "I met a guy who ran a bar. He seemed nice and I was lonely and just trying to get away and forget everything. I knew Aizen would be looking for me, so I tried not to use my powers or anything. But...the guy and me...we went to bed together and I was just going to stay for the night. But, he tried to tie me up, then he hit me and I started to pass out."

Ren's face paled as the memory returned forcefully.

"I don't know what happened. It was like I lost all control and I couldn't think straight. My powers just took over, and the next thing I knew, the guy was dead and I was running and didn't know where to go. I kept thinking about Tetsuya-san and how I used my powers on him. I was scared that I might have killed him too. I also heard that I was going to be arrested if anyone recognized me. I came back here because I really had nowhere to go!"

"I think that was a wise decision, kid," Renji said, looking up as the door opened and Kisuke, Byakuya and Ichigo walked in.

Ren stiffened and pressed his back to the wall, but remained in place.

"Taichou!" Renji exclaimed, "He came back on his own. And he helped get his reiatsu out of Tetsuya, so that he would recover better."

"I treated Arashi as well," Ren informed them, "I hope that you will believe me that I really am sorry for hurting them."

"We believe you," Ichigo said, nodding.

"Ichigo is correct," Byakuya affirmed, "Everything at the crime scene in the Rukongai suggested that you were being assaulted by that man and acted in self defense."

"So that means that...?"

"There has been an order issued for your capture, arrest and interrogation," the noble went on.

Ren deflated slightly, but remained where he was.

"I suppose I understand," he said softly, "With my powers like they are, I am a danger, even though I don't mean to be."

He studied the faces of the others, biting at his lips nervously.

"So, what are they going to do to me? Will they lock me up?" he asked in a shaky voice.

"We aren't going to let that happen," Ichigo said, glancing at Byakuya, then looking back at the frightened young man, "Kisuke has a place for us all to go, and Byakuya and I are going to help you get a handle on your powers."

"It will also allow us to protect you while we try to discover how Aizen was seeking to use you."

"But...you all look like something really serious has happened," Ren surmised, "Has it?"

"You could say that," Kisuke sighed, "You see, you remember, don't you? I took samples of your blood and reiatsu and ran full analyses to determine some things about your power and to check if you might be related to Aizen."

"But you said that the results were inconclusive because they were unreliable."

"Yeah, that was my conclusion," Kisuke agreed, "So, I sent the information to the twelfth division taichou and had him run the tests again, as well as several others."

"And what did he find?" Ren asked warily.

"I don't know how it can be," Kisuke said, shaking his head, "None of us can figure out how it's possible, but, the test results confirmed that you are..."

"Aizen Sousuke's son?" Ren queried shakily.

"Yeah," Kisuke answered, moving forward and gazing into the young man's widened eyes, "You're Aizen Sousuke's son...and mine!"


	7. Looking Inward

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kisuke tries to learn more about his son, while Tetsuya makes a startling confession to his lover, Renji.

Ren struggled to keep his anxious body still as he laid on an examination table in the safe house's laboratory and watched the man he now knew to be one of his parents fuss with the electrodes he had attached to the younger man's body and tap furiously at his computer's keys while closely studying the monitor. He frowned and looked back at Ren for a moment, then continued his work, pausing every now and then to inquire if he was 'doing all right.' Ren gave the expected, 'Fine, thanks.' each time, but inwardly felt conflicting feelings of intense curiosity and equally intense nervousness. Urahara Kisuke was obviously a powerful man and Ren was well aware that even though he had better morals than Aizen, he wasn't above tinkering with dangerous things.

And Ren knew he had been officially classified as dangerous.

_I can't even go outside. Being Aizen Sousuke's son is about the most awful curse I can think of. What makes it worse is that I think they're right to be wary of me. What morals did I show, cutting down Tetsuya-san when he never even tried to hurt me? He only tried to defend himself and Arashi. Arashi too never really tried to hurt me. He tried to contain me, but he wasn't doing that so that I could be hurt, These people wanted to help me. But I'm not accustomed to needing help. I've been nothing if not independent. I'm not used to people going out of their way to be good to me. Except for my adoptive parents, no one's given me the time of day._

His thoughts were interrupted as Byakuya and Ichigo entered the room and suddenly, being stripped down to a loin cloth changed from being a little uncomfortable to being almost blush inducing. He wasn't one to wear a blush all that often, but being nearly naked in front of those two seemed to have an unusually strong effect on him. He heard the beeping of the heart monitor speed up and Kisuke glanced at him out of the corner of one gray eye.

"You all right?" he asked, studying Ren for a moment.

"Yeah, I'm okay," Ren assured him, "I guess it's just that, knowing the Gotei 13's looking for me makes me worry it's gonna be them showing up here."

"Right," Kisuke sighed, turning back to his work.

"You don't have to worry," Ichigo said bracingly, "We're all here looking out for you now. We won't let them take you in."

"Well, thanks, but you know, it's kinda hard to get why you'd do that. I haven't exactly endeared myself to you, especially not when I nearly killed Tetsuya-san. He hates me now, doesn't he? I mean, it's not even that I hurt Arashi and him. It's that I hurt someone who wasn't even trying to hurt me."

"My cousin is aware that you were cornered and acted rashly, as sometimes a younger and more impetuous person will," Byakuya answered quietly, his smoky eyes observing Ren closely, "Tetsuya is never quick to judgment. He is still recovering, and your power caused him an emotional setback that is taking longer for him to resolve."

"Y-yeah," Ren sighed unhappily, "Damn it. If there was any way to undo what I did. I didn't realize how much it would mess with his head. And I wasn't really trying to kill them..."

"We know that," Ichigo assured him, "Your powers are new to you."

"You are going to have a period of adjustment," Byakuya added, "And while you do, it is necessary for you to be protected, both from Aizen Sousuke and from the Onmitsukido, who are tracking you."

"Well, I don't know why any of you want to do that," Ren sighed, "I haven't done anything but cause you trouble."

"Well, I have to admit that my reasons have more to do with curiosity than the fact that somehow I was used to make you," Kisuke offered, matter-of-factly, "I want to know how the hell Aizen got his hands on me long enough to do that. And why he did it is another big question."

"I'd like to know those things too," Ren agreed, "so I promise, I won't go running off again, and I'll understand if you want to keep this limiter thing on me. I don't even know what I might do to someone."

"Don't worry about it," Ichigo said reassuringly, "Right now, let's just focus on finding some answers. Relax and let Kisuke do what he does best."

"How am I supposed to do that?" mused Ren, shaking his head briefly, "with Aizen Sousuke looking for me and Central 46 out to get me..."

"Clear your mind of that," Byakuya said soothingly, "Close your eyes and try to picture a calm and peaceful place."

"Calm and peaceful, huh?" Ren chuckled softly, closing his eyes.

The calmest, most peaceful thought he could conjure was a memory of a small, wooded glen that he and Michio had camped in once while between towns during a flu outbreak.

_Yeah, we were both ready to drift off and the only sound was a little wind in the trees and the splashing of that little brook that ran through the..._

Ren's mind went blank for a moment as he felt the presence of someone else in his inward vision. He still saw himself and Michio, resting on the ground, but nearby stood Byakuya and Ichigo, looking just as surprised to be there as he was to see them.

"What the...?"

Ren's heart froze for a moment in shock as he spotted another dark figure, watching from within the trees, then moving towards them.

_Oh no!_

Ren's eyes flew open and he sat up suddenly, tearing away the electrodes on his chest and coming to his feet, ready to flee.

"Whoa!" gasped Ichigo, grabbing Byakuya's arm as the two swayed unsteadily and stared at Ren through stunned eyes, "What the hell was that?"

"What happened?" Kisuke demanded, "For a moment there, all three of you faded out and disappeared. Where were you?"

"Ah...it...it was a memory!" Ren panted anxiously, "I was just remembering a peaceful place that Michio and I went before. Then, all of a sudden, those guys were there. Then, Aizen showed up and all hell broke loose!"

"What did you guys see?" the shopkeeper asked, typing furiously as he listened to them.

"I saw a small, moonlit glen in the Rukongai," Byakuya reported, "I did see Ren and an old man there. Then, Aizen emerged from the trees and we were all suddenly yanked back here."

"I saw what he did," confirmed Ichigo.

"Okay, so you were yanked back," Kisuke said, frowning, "Ren, did you do the yanking?"

"Eh, I think so," the younger man said, blinking, then realizing suddenly that his loincloth had slipped off and fallen to the ground.

He didn't miss the fact that, although Kisuke seemed completely oblivious to his full nudity, Byakuya and Ichigo were both blushing and carefully not looking at him. Ren chuckled inwardly and bent over to retrieve his loincloth, turning slightly to offer the two a more blush inducing view of his tattooed bottom. He couldn't see their resulting expressions, but smiled more devilishly at the two small hisses of breath he heard them take. He set the loincloth back in place and sat down on the edge of the examination table again, looking up at Kisuke questioningly.

"Sorry about my reaction before," he apologized, "I was just a little freaked out that Aizen showed up. But it's kinda weird that those two did also, isn't it?"

"Yeah," Kisuke said, frowning more deeply, "It's like they were pulled into your thoughts somehow. But, if that's the case, why them and not me? I think I want to do a few tests on the three of you, if that's okay."

"What? You want to examine Byakuya and me too?" Ichigo mused, "But we're not the ones with the problem, here!"

"Take it easy," Kisuke chuckled, "I just need samples of reiatsu, a little bit of blood and some mental imaging with the three of you together and apart. That should tell me if there's some reason the two of you were drawn into his thoughts and I wasn't. But, what worries me is that, if Aizen was drawn into Ren's thoughts, he might have had insight into Ren's mind."

"Shit! That could lead him here, couldn't it?" Ichigo gasped.

"I do not remember having any connection with Ren's mind," Byakuya said calmly.

"I didn't either," added Ichigo, "That's good, right?"

"Yeah, it's good for a starters, but I have a lot I've gotta do before I'm anywhere near sure about what happened. Remember, Ren's under a limiter...and yet, this power or ability still affected, not just him, but you guys and maybe Aizen too."

"Well, I know you'll get to the bottom of things," Ichigo said, flinching at his use of the word 'bottom' just as he met Ren's eyes again.

"I will," Kisuke promised, moving over to where the three waited, "You two will need to undress too."

Ren bit his lip as a flush roared over Ichigo's skin and Byakuya coughed anxiously.

"V-very well," Byakuya said, stepping into a curtained area to comply.

"Um, Ichigo?" Kisuke said, glancing at the shinigami substitute.

"I'm going! I'm going! Sheesh!" the youth complained, following the noble into the curtained area.

Ren was careful not to look directly at the two as they emerged, dressed in loincloths, as he was. His heart quickened, making the monitor chirp again as he observed Byakuya's creamy, pale flesh and the long strands of silken hair that danced around his muscular shoulders. Ichigo was taller and more slender, but shapely in all the right areas, with a more feral look than his noble boyfriend.

_Gods, they're both so good looking! I'd like to..._

He paused, noting the noise his heart monitor was making, and carefully reined in his thoughts.

"Okay," said Kisuke, joining them and setting electrodes on each, "Let's just see if we can't figure out what's going on here."

XXXXXXXXXX

"How are you feeling now?" Renji asked, hooking his chin over Tetsuya's shoulder from behind and pressing his warm, naked body up against the noble's back, "You seemed to sleep better that time."

"I did," Tetsuya agreed, yawning, "You really didn't have to stay with me all of that time, Renji-san. I was having terrible flashbacks, but I have been through post traumatic stress before. I will be all right. It just takes time for me to work through everything."

"Well, this way, you don't have to tough it out alone, right?" the redhead said, reaching a hand around to caress Tetsuya's soft belly, then letting the hand drift downward slowly.

Tetsuya blushed sweetly, his heart quickening as Renji slowly approached his nether region, then stopped, just short. Tetsuya glanced back at him over a slender shoulder.

"Why did you stop?" he asked softly.

"Well," Renji said, teasing the fine hairs, just above Tetsuya's flushed and aroused penis, "I know that part of what happened to you in that prison was sexual. I just...didn't know if I should...you know, touch you like that while you're still dealing with things."

Tetsuya gave the redhead a sweet, gratified smile.

"Why, Renji-san," he said, blushing, "just because I was touched against my will by those men doesn't mean that I don't want to be touched by you. The way it feels when Renji-san touches me is completely different. Renji-san's hands are strong, but they are gentle and they seek only to convey appreciation and love. There was no love in the way those guards in the prison touched me. But, no, your touches do not make me remember the bad things. Always, they make the bad things seem farther away."

"Th-that's good," Renji said, a little breathlessly, causing Tetsuya to give a beautiful little sigh as he finally let his fingers play over the blushing, satin skin of his lover's swollen member.

"It is good," Tetsuya sighed, closing his eyes, "All of the bad things diappear when Renji-san touches me. It makes my heart feel much lighter."

"Good," Renji said, smiling and making a line of kisses along the side of Tetsuya's slender, pale neck, "Cause, I really like touching you. I just don't want to offend you. I want to get this right, because I think I've really fallen in love with you, Tetsuya."

"I feel the same," Tetsuya confessed, turning over and seeking Renji's warm, biting mouth for several long, wet kisses, "Though, I wonder why someone like you ever noticed me. I remain nearly invisible much of the time. While you accompany Byakuya-sama onto the battlefield, my focus is only ever on protecting him. I am not in the military and have earned no recognitions..."

"You're beautiful," Renji said, kissing him to stop the words, "And it doesn't matter that you're not in the military and that you haven't won honors for doing battle. You're strong, loyal and there's nothing you won't do to protect the ones you love. I think that's more important than winning honors or having lots of people notice you. This way, you're like...a real rare flower that's hidden among the more common ones in a great big field. And I'm the guy lucky enough to have looked more closely and found you."

"That's a lovely image," Tetsuya sighed, closing his eyes and moving his hips slowly to increase the pleasure of Renji's increasingly amorous caresses, "I am happy that Renji-san noticed me."

"I'm glad you finally let me get closer to you. At first, I wondered if you ever would."

"I am sorry for keeping you waiting so long," Tetsuya apologized, "I am not used to people noticing me like you did. And much of what I do depends on not being noticed. I had no trouble noticing you. You have proven yourself in battle, and you have proven your loyalty to my cousin."

"But those aren't the reasons you are falling in love with me..."

"No," Tetsuya confessed, "Renji-san's eyes that are so fierce in battle are very friendly when he is not fighting. I first noticed your friendly eyes. Then, I noticed the way you adore little children, how you always smile at them and you always give them something to make them smile. Your kindness to them is touching."

"Yeah, well, growing up in the Rukongai, I tried to protect the littler ones. It was hard, and by the time Rukia and I left for the shinigami academy, all of our friends we grew up with were dead."

"I know. It must have been so difficult. I was a prisoner, growing up, but you too faced a kind of imprisonment in Inuzuri."

"Yeah, you and I didn't have it easy growing up, did we?" Renji mused, kissing a flushed earlobe, then seeking Tetsuya's lips again, "But things are good now. We're out of those dark places and we have each other. And I'm really looking forward to knowing you better, Tetsuya."

"Ah, I feel the same. But...there is something that you should probably know before we...erm...get any closer, Renji-san. You see, when I was in the prison, I was...experimented on by some scientists who used forbidden methods and techniques."

"Oh?"

"Y-yes. And...because of their manipulations, I...well...I once became pregnant."

"Y-you...?" Renji stammered, sitting up quickly.

"I was beaten severely by the guards for some transgression and I lost the child, but...there is the chance that if we are intimate, I could become pregnant again. I hope that...that Renji-san isn't..."

"What? Me?" Renji said, flushing brightly, "No, not at all! I'm glad you told me. I mean, I'm not exactly ready to be a dad right now, you know? But, I would really like to be one someday. And I have to tell you, if I did have kids, I'd want to have them with someone like you...beautiful, loving, protective. I love you, Tetsuya. Nothing's going to change that now."

"I'm so glad to hear you say that!" Tetsuya said, relief spreading all over his youthful face, "I was afraid that if I told you about my...difference, it might change your mind about wanting to see me romantically."

"No way!" Renji laughed, moving so he laid on top of the slighter shinigami, and rubbing his hungry, leaking member against Tetsuya's, "We'll just be careful and save the babymaking until we're both ready, okay?"

"Okay, Renji-san!" Tetsuya answered, smiling widely and rubbing a soft pale cheek against Renji's golden tanned one.

"Right," Renji laughed, "Now, we just have to find ourselves a protection charm!"


	8. Dangerously Close

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tetsuya surrenders to Renji's love as Ren, Byakuya and Ichigo make a surprise connection.

"Tessai-san," Renji called softly, holding his yukata closed and peeking down the hallway.

"Ah, Moocher-san, what can I bring you?" the big shinigami asked, a slight mocking edge to his voice.

Renji scowled.

"Would you please stop calling me that?" he pleaded in an exasperated tone, "I'm not a moocher! You and I both know Urahara-san works my ass off in exchange for everything, so I don't know why you have to..."

"What was it you wanted, Moocher-san?" Tessai interrupted, arching a thick eyebrow.

Renji stiffened, but ignored the jab.

"Nothing big, just a protection charm, okay?"

"Ah, I see," Tessai replied, tilting his head slightly and looking at Renji over the top of his glasses, "Of course. I will be happy to provide you with a protection charm so that you can properly defile Byakuya-san's cousin, practically under his nose, then."

"Hey! No one's being defiled. We're having sex. And we're not going to be loud or bother anyone. We'll be quiet and clean up after ourselves. Shit, I don't know why you're complaining. It's better than that damned Yoruichi, screeching all night every time Soi Fon taichou comes to visit! They practically shatter the windows."

"I don't know what you're talking about," Tessai said blithely, fishing a protection charm out of his shirt pocket, "I never hear a thing through their privacy shield. I wonder why you do. Maybe you are overly sensitive."

"Huh," Renji huffed, shaking his head as he turned back into the bedroom, "and maybe the people in this hideout are all freaking perverts!"

"Did you say something, Renji-san?" Tetsuya asked, his wide blue eyes and small, enigmatic smile sending a heady jolt through the redhead's already throbbing loins.

"Ah, no!" Renji said quickly, "I was just...eh, thanking Tessai-san for the protection charm."

"Oh," Tetsuya replied, blushing, "He wasn't angry, was he?"

"Oh no, he was just his usual helpful self," Renji lied.

"Erm, Renji-san, are you sure we should do this here?" Tetsuya asked, looking guilty at the thought, "With Byakuya-sama here and being on someone else's property, I..."

"Wh-what?" Renji stammered, giving him a distraught look, "But we have to be here because we're helping to guard Ren-san! And we'll be quiet, I promise! I mean, I will. And we can use a privacy shield. Tetsuya-san...!"

He read the penitent look on Tetsuya's comely face and swiftly deflated.

"Okay," Renji said, more softly and in a completely serious tone, brushing his fingers lightly along Tetsuya's soft cheek, "If you want to wait, I'll wait. I love you, Tetsuya. I'm not going to do anything to hurt or embarrass you."

He caught his breath in surprise at the slow smile that crept across Tetsuya's cute features.

"What?" he mused, blinking in confusion, "What's so funny?"

"You know, Renji, being Byakuya-sama's personal bodyguard, I know he and Ichigo-san make love at Urahara-san's shop and on his other properties quite often. I'm sure it's fine."

"B-but you said...?" Renji said in a flustered tone.

"I was teasing you!" Tetsuya laughed, yanking the tall redhead down onto the bed with him and meeting him for a flurry of hard, hungry kisses, "I can't wait for you to make love to me!"

"Really?" Renji said breathlessly, "but you were so reluctant before."

"I know. I'm sorry. I was just a little bit afraid before, especially as I hadn't told you about what happened in the prison. I thought maybe you wouldn't want the bother of having to..."

"Are you kidding?" Renji chuckled, pulling him close and sinking into his mouth indulgently, "If I was worried about stupid little things, I wouldn't have dared approach Taichou's own cousin in the first place. And you being able to have babies is really kinda cool. We took care of little ones in our gang in the Rukongai sometimes and I always thought they were really cute. Kinda stinky and messy and loud sometimes, but cute. When we're ready, it'll be great to be able to have our own little rugrats!"

"I'm so glad you feel that way, Renji!" Tetsuya sighed, relaxing in the redhead's arms and smiling as he watched Renji's hands slowly bare him.

"Hold on a sec. Something's not quite right," Renji said, slipping the protection charm around Tetsuya's neck, then moving to the window, where he moved the curtain to let in a shaft of pretty blue moonlight that fell down across the bed and lit Tetsuya's naked body with it's lovely hue, "That's more like it!"

"Renji!"

Tetsuya was lost for words as Renji turned and stripped away his yukata, baring the bold array of his tattoos to the moonlight, then laying down on top of him. He reeled under the power of the touch of that hot body rubbing against his, the redhead's attractive scent and the swell of his hungry arousal where it pressed against Tetsuya's naked thigh. His words left him all over again as Renji's wetted fingers found his nether region and slowly prepared him for their joining. Renji entered the blushing noble in measured thrusts, watching Tetsuya's blue eyes for any sign of discomfort, then pausing when he was fully entrenched.

"Are you all right?" he whispered, kissing a pleasantly flushed cheek, "Do you want to hold still for a bit?"

"N-no, please, Renji!" Tetsuya moaned sensuously, "I w-want...I want you to m-move!"

"Like this?" the redhead asked, moving his hips experimentally, then smiling at the heady, erotic sound that escaped Tetsuya's blushing lips.

"Oh! Oh kami, yes!" panted the noble, thrashing impatiently beneath him, "Yes! Yes! YES!"

Renji barely had the presence of mind to remember to set a privacy shield in place, and neither man was aware at all of the presence of the tall, bespectacled man outside their door, listening and smiling wickedly.

"So...the final test is underway," Tessai whispered in a voice that sounded nothing like his own, "First the two of you...then..."

He heard a door handle turning somewhere down the hall and melted quickly into the shadows.

"Tessai," said Kisuke as the two exited the lab and started down the hallway, "I'm gonna go and get some sleep now. If you could let me know when the results of that testing come through..."

"Sure thing, boss," Tessai answered, nodding.

Kisuke slipped into one of the bedrooms while his friend turned back into the laboratory. When the hall was empty again, Tessai's false double reappeared at Tetsuya and Renji's door.

"Hmmm," the fake mused softly, starting down the hallway.

He invoked his hypnotic power and slid noiselessly into the laboratory, sneaking up behind Tessai and swiftly incapacitating him. He watched as the computer worked at the samples, his brown eyes intense as he read the results.

"Oh," he whispered, smirking, "Interesting!"

XXXXXXXXXX

"I'm real sorry to be such a bother," Ren said penitently, moving to the dressing area and positioning himself so that the other two men in the room couldn't help but glimpse him as he changed.

"Don't worry about it," Ichigo assured him, blushing as he saw Ren's yukata fall away out of the corner of his eye and couldn't help being distracted by the younger man's attractive mingling of tattoos and complex piercings.

Byakuya, too, seemed likewise flustered by him.

"I just mean that I know you guys are seeing each other and I feel like I'm getting in the way."

"There are more important things for Ichigo and me to be thinking about now," Byakuya stated firmly, "You must be kept safe while we attempt to learn more about your powers. This is not asking too much."

"Well, I really appreciate it," Ren said, ruffling his thick hair, then stumbling to the bed and collapsing onto it.

He wriggled under the covers letting his top open provocatively, then smiled at the two as they took up protective positions in the room.

"Good night, then," he said amiably.

"Good night, Ren," Byakuya responded.

"Good night," Ichigo intoned.

The room went quiet as Ren drifted slowly off to sleep and the two guarding shinigamis met by the window.

"It seems like we've been successful in hiding his presence from Soi Fon taichou's bunch," Ichigo sighed.

"So far, yes," Byakuya agreed, glancing back over his shoulder at Ren for a moment, then looking back out into the moonlit night, "but we must be cautious. Not only do we have to watch out for the Gotei forces..."

"We also don't know where Aizen is," Ichigo concluded.

"Exactly," Byakuya replied, "but we do know that he is both crafty and very much interested in this young man."

"There are still a lot of mysteries to figure out too," Ichigo said, shaking his head, "Like, how he's Aizen and Kisuke's son, but Kisuke didn't know anything about him."

"There is also the fact that he was in the Rukongai and under a seal for so long," Byakuya added.

"It seems like we're a long way from the answers," sighed Ichigo, "And every minute it takes to find them is a minute that we could be found or Ren could encounter something that could set his powers off again. It's weird that power that activated even under a limiter."

"Yes," Byakuya agreed, "but it is a suggestion that what was being used was an innate ability, rather than a reiatsu based one. All shinigamis have natural abilities. It is from these that the zanpakutou eventually draws their power. But, even if the zanpakutou is destroyed, the smaller natural ability will remain. This is why Central 46 had to be so cautious in keeping Aizen bound and closely guarded."

"And even with all of that, he managed to escape."

"I think his natural abilities played a lot into that," Byakuya concluded.

"You're probably right," Ichigo said, yawning.

He let his head fall onto Byakuya's warm shoulder and breathed in the noble's soft, pleasant scent, letting a hand slide downward to caress the Kuchiki heir's proud erection and tease his entrance with wanting fingertips.

"Man, it's such a pretty night," he continued sleepily, "Makes me just want to curl up in your arms and drift off right here."

"You can sleep a bit if you are tired," Byakuya invited him, "I will watch things for a while."

"Naw, I like just being with you like this, when it's quiet and nothing's happening. It doesn't seem like we get that much down time."

"No," the noble agreed, "but I think we make the most of the quiet moments that we have."

"Yeah," Ichigo sighed, slipping a hand into his and squeezing it gently, then kissing Byakuya on the cheek.

The two ceased talking, focusing on the lovely moon and pretty array of stars, then glancing at each other and exchanging knowing smiles as a flicker of heady, riled reiatsu played across their senses.

"Tetsuya and Renji?" Ichigo mused, "Finally! He's been panting after Tetsuya for months now, but..."

"He's been intimidated by me, I think," Byakuya admitted.

"Yeah, he's aware of what you'd do to him if he screws things up with your cousin."

"Strangely, I never had a doubt, either about Renji's intentions or his ability to make my cousin happy."

"They do seem to be meant for each other."

"Yes."

The two quieted again, just stroking each other's fingertips and looking up into the sky as time passed. Sometime after midnight, a gentle mist began to rise outside. Their eyes blinked slowly as the mist blanketed the area and gradually blocked out their view of the sky. Then, oddly, mist seemed to seep into the room. It curled around their bodies and that of the young man sleeping in the bed, making Ren's body begin to glow softly with power, then sending the other two men drifting off. Before any of them realized what was happening, all three were asleep.

Ren felt something rubbing against the bare skin of his front and back, and opened his eyes to an unexpected, but definitely not unwelcome sight. Ichigo knelt in front of him, deliciously bared and pressed up against him, their swollen arousals rubbing against each other, while an equally naked Kuchiki Byakuya rubbed his ample privates sweetly against his backside. Each of the other two men nibbled gently on opposite sides of his throat, then paused to meet for a scorching kiss over his shoulder. Caught in between the two and teased by their obvious desire, Ren moaned and thrashed erotically, letting his hands first explore Ichigo's soft, muscular breasts, erect nipples and tight, round bottom, before moving on and reaching behind him to stroke Byakuya's hungry length. The noble bit down on the back of Ren's shoulder, slipping wetted fingers inside him and beginning to prepare him, then breathing words into his ear that made a shiver go through him.

"Be prepared," the noble warned him, "You have teased us all you are going to. Now, we are both going to take you at once."

"Oh!"

"But don't worry," Ichigo panted in his other ear, "We won't hurt you...probably."

Ichigo laid back, pulling Ren down on top of him and laughing as Byakuya continued to prepare the younger man, then guided Ichigo's thickened member slowly into joining with him. Ren groaned at the size of the one alone, then panted harshly, shutting his eyes tightly as Byakuya's fingers continued the preparation and ever so slowly, he pushed his own length into the younger man's strained entrance.

"Are you okay?" Ichigo asked breathlessly.

"I feel like I'm going to break!" Ren managed feverishly, "but yeah...I'm fine."

But he wondered if he would continue to be as his two lovers began to move, settling into a steady, alternating rhythm and continuing to trace the dark lines on his body with their tongues, pausing to exchange hard, melting kisses with each other and with him. The three men moved together, their hearts racing with every deep, heavy thrust. And Ren felt a sensation approaching that dwarfed anything he had ever felt before.

"Oh!" he moaned loudly, "Oh god...oh god...OH GODS!"

The three climaxed together, the blazing heat of his two lovers filling Ren until he thought he would burst and making his own release spill out on their still undulating bodies as they slowed in their motions and finally stopped, leaving the three panting and undone, their moonlit forms in a sweet tangle on the bed.

In moments, all three were asleep.

XXXXXXXXXX

Ren felt life coming back into his body and groaned very softly at finding himself sandwiched between two other naked, male forms. He sucked in a surprised breath at opening his eyes to find himself splayed out across Ichigo's chest, with Byakuya's lovely, naked and, as had been in the dream he had been having, wonderfully aroused body pressed up against his backside.

_How in the heck did this happen? the young man wondered, not daring to move lest he should wake the other two men and shatter the beauty of their entanglement, I thought it was a dream, but did we really all have sex?_

He shifted slightly and felt sticky dampness in several telling places.

_Damn! We did have sex!_

_Really, really good sex!_

_But what are they going to do when they wake up?_

Ren bit at his lips gently, thinking it over carefully, then he closed his eyes and relaxed as he felt the other two begin to wake. He waited, keeping his eyes mostly closed until he saw Ichigo's open and felt the other two men stiffen reflexively.

"Oh!" Ichigo gasped, "Whoa!"

"Wh-what happened here?" Byakuya mused, staring at their entwined bodies.

"I don't know," Ren answered honestly, sucking in a piqued breath as the other two men pulled free of him and sat up.

"Do you remember anything?" Byakuya asked Ichigo.

"Ah...just falling asleep on your shoulder, then I had a dream about the three of us."

"I did also," Byakuya said in a stunned tone.

"Me too," added Ren.

"But why?" Ichigo mused.

The three looked at each other with mystified eyes, unable to find any further words. But they were spared the trouble as the door opened and Kisuke stepped into the room, then skidded to a stop and blinked in surprise.

"Oh," he said sheepishly, "Looks like I got here a little late."

"What do you mean?" Byakuya asked stridently, "Do you know why this happened?"

"Ah...yeah, actually," Kisuke chuckled, "It looks like the three of you are true resonants!"


	9. Shadows in Mist

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aizen makes his move!

"What's all the racket in here?" Renji complained, stepping through the open bedroom door and into Ren's room with Tetsuya at his side, "Are you guys okay?"

Immediately, the two skidded to a stop and blushed furiously at the scandalously erotic sight of the sixth division taichou, the Shiba heir and Aizen's purported offspring all nearly naked on the bed and Kisuke, standing and studying them with a flustered expression.

"S-sorry taichou, we will just..." the redhead began, backing away.

"Hold on," Kisuke warned him, "We need to talk about this, and you two should know what's going on, so stay put. Just...you three should cover up a little better."

The three men on the bed hastily adjusted their yukatas to better conceal themselves.

"Do you care to explain what you just told us?" Byakuya asked Kisuke, "Did I hear you correctly? You said that the three of us are...?"

"True resonants," Kisuke repeated, "What that means is that your reiatsu..."

"Resonates at an unusually high level," Tetsuya finished, stepping forward.

Byakuya gave his younger cousin a surprised look and Tetsuya hastened to explain.

"You remember, Byakuya-sama, that I was subject to tests and experiments while in Itamigiri, and that one of the experiments resulted in me being able to be impregnated."

"Yes, but..."

"That experiment had its root in soul resonance, that is, the level of compatible forces that exist in the reiatsu of two or more shinigamis. I was made pregnant as a prisoner because my lover and I resonated strongly enough to make it happen. But you are talking about..."

"I'm talking about three guys with exceptional powers whose reiatsu resonates almost perfectly," Kisuke answered, "The connotations of that are astounding, to say the least. And considering that resonance was behind Tetsuya-san's pregnancy, it suggests you three should proceed with extreme caution. You don't want to have any unexpected consequences."

"What the hell?" Ren exclaimed suddenly, "Are you saying that they might have knocked me up? No way! That's not possible!"

"I assure you," Kisuke said in a dead serious tone, "It is entirely possible. Why don't you ask Tetsuya-san, if you think it's not."

"Wait a minute," Renji said, frowning, "If all of this is true, does that mean that Aizen wanted Ren to have a kid? He wanted his son impregnated?"

"But why?" Tetsuya mused.

"It could be part of some plan he hatched," Kisuke concluded, "Or it could just be that it's a side effect of whatever that bastard's really up to. But think about the implications. We have Aizen's blood in the mix, mine, Ichigo's and Byakuya-san's. That is a powerful combination, and add into that Ren's developing powers. Whether or not a child was Aizen's intention, the kid's going to have alarming potential. But that brings with it another possibility. Not a good one."

"What is that?" Ichigo asked warily.

"Remember that Aizen was rejected by the hougyoku. And the reason it happened was because the hougyoku judged him to be unworthy...for whatever reason. Let's say for a moment that Aizen read that to mean that his body simply couldn't channel the power he needed."

"Kami..." Byakuya breathed, stiffening, "You don't mean to say that he could be using Ren to..."

"To create a body that can wield that kind of power," Kisuke confirmed, "But I don't think he could have anticipated the resonance between Ren and the two of you. Maybe he was going to approach this in another way and this development was unexpected."

"Well, whatever the truth, shouldn't we figure out if we got Ren pregnant?" Ichigo asked.

"I'll run a few tests," Kisuke offered, "And while I do, I want you guys to guard Ren closely. Assuming I'm right about what he was trying to use Ren to do, we need to be prepared for Aizen to come at us with all he's got. He needs to get Ren back to make his plans work."

He looked up at Tetsuya and nodded briefly.

"And Tetsuya-san, if you don't mind, I would like to run a few tests on you as well...to get some perspectives on the resonance and pregnancy."

"Of course," Tetsuya agreed readily, "That makes a great deal of sense."

"Ichigo, Renji, why don't you come with me," Byakuya said, rising and tying his yukata back in place, "We need to get dressed and then provide security here while Kisuke conducts his research."

"Sure thing Taichou," Renji answered.

"I'm with you guys," Ichigo added.

The three exited the bedroom, leaving Kisuke alone with Tetsuya and a slightly blushing Ren.

"S-so, was that really true?" Ren asked Tetsuya cautiously, "You were really pregnant before?"

"Yes," Tetsuya replied quietly, "I lost the child, but I was definitely pregnant. And it was the high level of resonance between my soul and my lover's, along with something that was done in the experiments those men did on me that caused it. The troubling thing is that because someone leaked word of Byakuya-sama's pending arrival the day of the assault on the prison, the guards destroyed much of the evidence of what the scientists there were doing. We don't know who exactly was involved or what their true intent was. And my own memories of what happened were confused by trauma. I was not able to recall anything useful afterward."

Ren let out a soft, sympathetic breath.

"I'm sorry, Tetsuya-san," he said solemnly, "Not just because of what happened to you then. I'm really sorry for hurting you and Arashi. I didn't want to. And now, I feel really horrible about it. I don't know what I was thinking."

"You were desperate," Tetsuya said in an understanding tone, "You felt trapped and you were using the means you thought necessary to escape. But I hope you know now that we are not your enemies, Ren."

"No," Ren agreed, lowering his troubled eyes, "You are acting like friends, even though I haven't treated you like friends. I don't deserve that."

"Hey, you've been through a lot," Kisuke said, shaking his head gently, "It's got to have been hell to know you're the son of the most wicked shinigami to walk the three worlds."

"Yeah," Ren sighed wearily, "But...it's not so bad that I'm also the son of the smartest guy in the three worlds. At least it makes me feel like there's a chance of getting out of all of this in one piece. But...a baby? Really? Do you really think I'm going to have a kid?"

"I have to run some tests to confirm it, but yeah, I do think I know what I'm going to find. And if I'm right, that means we've got to protect you from Aizen and make sure you don't fall back into his hands."

"While also keeping me from being captured by the Gotei 13," Ren said in a worried tone, "This is pretty scary."

"Well, you're not alone," Tetsuya assured him, meeting Ren's eyes reassuringly.

Ren felt an uncomfortable jolt inside at the young man's kindness. He swallowed hard and forced himself to look back at Tetsuya.

"Thank you. And I'm going to make you a promise, Tetsuya-san. Because you have proven yourself a real friend, I won't let anything bad happen to you...not while I live and breathe. You could have hated me and I deserve it for what I did to you. But you're not only not holding a grudge. You're showing me kindness I haven't earned at all. I will find a way to repay that."

"Oh, you don't have to..."

"Yeah, I do," Ren insisted, smiling almost shyly at Tetsuya, "When someone is good to me, I don't forget that."

"Very well," Tetsuya said, looking amused, "We shall watch out for each other, then."

"That sounds good."

"Well then, now that we've got that all patched up," Kisuke chuckled, "Let me get those tests started."

He moved forward to where Ren waited and drew samples of blood and reiatsu, then turned to Tetsuya and did likewise.

"Tessai will be here in a moment with something for the two of you to eat. I'll get to work on these samples so we can get some answers as soon as possible."

The two young men watched as Kisuke left, then Tetsuya sat down on the edge of the bed.

"This is really weird," Ren confessed, flushing slightly, "I mean, I was attracted to Byakuya-san and Ichigo-san. I'll admit that. But I didn't plan on sleeping with them."

"I think they were surprised as well," Tetsuya replied, "But I remember the strength of the resonance between my Naoki and me. It is a power unlike much that I've felt before. Ren-chan, I think that whatever comes of this situation, the three of you will find your lives changed."

"By that asshole Aizen's manipulations," Ren sighed, frowning.

Tetsuya shook his head gently and took Ren's hands in his, looking into his eyes warmly.

"Make no mistake, Aizen did not create this resonance. He only borrowed its power to manipulate you. True resonance is not just a state, but a gift that is said to be divine. If you resonate at this level, you are destined to share a powerful and meaningful connection. And that connection isn't just to mean that you will share a relationship. Gifts of this manner are meant to be used in some way for something pivotal...a fate you may not be able to see now, but that will come to you. My love for Naoki was profound, as was his for me. It led him to protect me, even at the cost of his life, so that I could live and reach Byakuya-sama's side. My growth to taichou level, my devotion to his protection and our close bond was all made possible because my lover protected me."

"I hope that doesn't mean I have to die," Ren said, looking uncomfortable.

"One never knows what his fate will be," Tetsuya said, squeezing Ren's hands gently, "But as Byakuya-sama taught me, what is important is discovering and using one's heart and power to its greatest extent to protect what means most to us."

"Huh," Ren sighed, a sadness coming into his eyes, "I would've laughed at you if you had told me that before all of this started. But now...things are really different."

Tetsuya smiled and nodded.

"But you are safe for now, and among allies."

"You mean friends, right Tetsuya-san?"

"Yes, I meant friends," Tetsuya agreed.

The two looked up and smiled as Tessai entered the room, carrying two trays of food.

"Ichigo-san and Arashi are on watch," he informed them, "The others are having lunch in the kitchen, but the boss said that the two of you should rest and eat in here."

"That looks awesome and I am completely starved!" Ren said enthusiastically, diving into his meal immediately.

Tetsuya chuckled softly and worked at his food more slowly, while Tessai watched them for a moment, then turned to leave.

"Enjoy your lunch," he said, a wicked smile taking over his face as he faced away from them.

Behind him, Ren paused, mid-bite, stiffening as an odd dizziness passed over him.

"Whoa...what the heck?"

Tetsuya blinked in surprise as he also encountered a powerful sensation of weakness and unsteadiness.

"T-tessai-san!" he gasped, catching his breath and shrinking back against Ren as Tessai turned, but didn't look at all like the man he had been.

"No!" Tetsuya cried, pressing back against Ren protectively, "How did you get in here?"

"What a useless question," Aizen said calmly, watching as the two young men struggled and tried to call out for help, "Nothing you do or say now makes any difference. You are coming with me."

"N-no!" Ren panted, stumbling onto his feet and pushing Tetsuya back as the noble tried to stand with him, "Just...just...I'll go with you, but leave him here. You don't need him, right? I'm the one you want! Just leave Tetsuya-san alone! Please, I'll go with you. Just...don't..."

"You misunderstand," Aizen said, moving closer and slipping a reiatsu suppressing band around Ren's wrist, then Tetsuya's, "This young man is very important to me. Let me inform you, I have known about Kuchiki Tetsuya since he was born in Itamigiri, and in fact, I was behind the studies and experiments testing resonance levels and invoking male pregnancy, using that method."

"What?"

"Tetsuya won't remember. He was always unconscious when I was conducting my experiments on him, but I watched over him closely, and I am pleased with how much I was able to learn because of him. He still has value, because what I intend to do to you really should be tested on someone who isn't important, and I have learned all I can from him. Still, he will serve me one more time before he dies."

"NO!"

"Understand, unlike Kisuke, I don't need to test the two of you to know that you are both carrying children."

"What?"

Aizen smiled devilishly.

"Then you...?"

"It's like Kisuke said. I intended to free your powers, then to impregnate you so that your body would act much in the way of a hougyoku and provide a soul that would be strong enough to command the hougyoku as my current body could not."

"You son of a bitch!" Ren raged, staggering forward, only to collapse just short of Aizen, "I'll kill you! I don't care what it takes. I'm gonna...!"

"Very commendable. You have strong spirits and your reiatsu is exceptional. I am proud of you, Ren. You have exceeded my expectations."

He looked up at Tetsuya, who remained barely on his feet and struggling not to fall.

"Ah yes, you will have invoked your power that allows you to slow the advance of toxins, such as the sedative I gave the two of you. but it's no matter. It won't help you. If you fight, you will lose and if you call out, they will not hear you."

Aizen stepped over Ren's fallen form and cornered Tetsuya against the wall, cupping his face in one hand and looking into his terrified blue eyes.

"It's been a long time, Kuchiki Tetsuya, since I looked you in the face. Would you like to remember?"

"No!" Tetsuya whispered breathlessly, "No, stop it! Stop!"

"I have to thank you. Without you, I couldn't have made Ren. And without him, I would have no way to command the hougyoku again."

"You are a monster!" Tetsuya gasped, tears coming to his eyes.

"What are you talking about?" Aizen chided him, "Without me, you would never have known the happiness that came from holding your lover's child inside you. You wouldn't be carrying Abarai Renji's child right now."

"But what good are those things if you just destroy them in the end!" Tetsuya sobbed softly, "It broke my heart when I lost Naoki and again when I lost our baby!"

"Shh, don't worry," Aizen breathed into his ear, making Tetsuya freeze, "I promise you that this time, you won't live to know the pain of losing them. And while we travel to Las Noches, I will indulge you in pleasant dreams to ease your mind. You deserve at least that peace as you pass from life. You have been a lovely and valuable source of information, Tetsuya."

A final flicker of powerful reiatsu dropped Tetsuya in a senseless heap at his feet. Smirking with satisfaction, Aizen collected the two and exited the room.

Down the hallway in his laboratory, Kisuke gazed intently at the screen in front of him, scowling discontentedly. His fingers tapped solemnly at the keys and he studied the screen again. He started to move his fingers again, then paused as he heard a muffled thumping in the closet.

"What the...?"

He rose out of his seat and crossed the room, reaching out and opening the door cautiously as more thumps sounded. A shocked, hissing breath escaped him as he discovered Tessai, bound in a heavy kido chain.

"Tessai!" he exclaimed.

A moment later, the truth dawned on him and he hastily shattered the kido bindings and ran back into the hallway.

"Byakuya! Renji! Ichigo, get over here!"

"What is it?" Byakuya asked, racing into the hallway with the other two men on his heels.

Kisuke gestured to the open doorway that led into Ren's room.

"He took them!" Kisuke exclaimed frantically, "He's got Ren and Tetsuya!"


	10. The Little Things

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aizen tests his plans on Tetsuya in preparation for using Ren to complete his dastardly plans.

Ren gave a discomfited groan, reeling inwardly as life came back into his body. Finding himself unable to move, he strained to open his eyes. His eyelids felt strangely weighted and any movement exhausting, but feeling a sense of extreme urgency to bring himself all of the way awake, he struggled against the weakness and continued drowsiness until a strong presence manifested itself at his side and Aizen Sousuke's calm, maddeningly tranquil voice began to echo in his head.

"Ah, you are quite headstrong. I hadn't intended for you to wake so soon. But it's fine. If you would like, you can watch while I work with your friend, Tetsuya."

"W-wait!" Ren panted weakly, struggling only to find that his arms, legs and torso were held firmly in place by heavy straps.

An IV had been inserted in one arm and electrodes had been placed on his temples, as well as on his bared chest and abdomen.

"Wh-what are you doing to him! S-stop!" Ren objected, pulling at the straps.

Aizen touched a button on the IV stand and Ren felt the cool entry of fluid into his arm.

"That should calm you," Aizen concluded sedately, "Your emotions could become a problem if they are too strong. You need to remain calm, Ren. I am not going to hurt you. In fact, you are extremely valuable to me, so I will let no harm come to you."

"And y-you think that k-killing my friend is going to keep me c-calm too? What the fuck is wr-wrong with you! Don't hurt him! Don't hurt him or I'll kill you!"

Aizen laughed softly.

"You'll kill me, you say?" he repeated in an amused tone, "How will you do that, Ren? I am immortal."

"I d-don't care!" Ren gasped, straining as the medication drained him of the little strength he had, "I w-will find a way. If you hurt my friends, I will find a way to kill you!"

"You're quite belligerent," Aizen commented calmly, looking down at the console at the side of the bed and making several adjustments, "I wonder if you've had too much exposure to that Ryoka boy. You know, Ren, I was not pleased when you escaped me and fell into their hands, but fate has an odd way of interrupting science and sending our investigations off into new directions. I mean, imagine my surprise. I set out to combine the strength of my genetic makeup and reiatsu with Urahara Kisuke's, but because of your escape, I also harnessed not only the considerable power of the strongest noble son in the history of the Kuchiki clan, but also reined in the ability of the one most responsible for my capture. It provides some levity that Ichigo and Kisuke, who worked together to bring me down are now the ones responsible for my return to power. And I will not just have the power I wielded before. Because of you and this child you carry, I will have enough increased power to master and fully control the hougyoku. The increased power will make it accept me completely this time. But, first things first. I must test the method I will use to mature the reiatsu within you. I want to be sure it is perfectly safe for you and the child before attempting it."

"No, stop!" Ren objected, unable anymore to struggle, but desperate as he watched Aizen turn and close in on Tetsuya, who laid bound to another examination table a short distance away, "Tetsuya is my friend! I won't let you hurt him. Let me up, you son of a bitch! D-don't...don't do this!"

"You're making a lot of noise. It's pretty distracting," Aizen said dulcetly, "If you don't want to endanger your own child, you should calm down."

"I'm not going to calmly watch while you murder my friend!" Ren howled, his reiatsu strengthening and glowing around him, "Augh! Let me go! Let us out of here, you bastard! I hate you! I'll kill you! LET US GO!"

Anger flickered in Aizen's eyes as Ren's power swelled and surged under the restraints. He left Tetsuya's side and returned to his furious son.

"I am warning you, Ren. I need to keep you under a limiter and not a full seal for the purposes of this procedure. It is best for the child and it is best for you. I will not kill either of you. You are my son and I need you to complete my plans."

"But Tetsuya's expendable, so you're going to just kill him because you're that much of a fucking demon! Isn't that right, Dad?"

"Is that what's bothering you? The fate of that one soul, Ren?" Aizen asked, frowning, "There are an infinite number of souls. Tetsuya and his child are ants. Only you and I understand what it means to rise above that. To crush a few ants along the way is insignificant compared to what we will achieve."

"You know, you're really screwed up in the head," Ren snarled, "I don't give a damn that you're powerful and neurotic enough to think you can get away with this. Tetsuya and the others are my friends!"

"Is that so?" Aizen mused, "Because, as I recall, they came after you at the order of the Gotei 13. Have you forgotten that they are the ones who were pursuing you?"

"I haven't forgotten, but I don't care!" the young man raged, "They were protecting me and taking care of me, even after I hurt Tetsuya and his Arashi! And I don't blame the Gotei or Central 46 for wanting me apprehended. Look whose damned kid I am! You're a psychopath and if I was them, I'd be doing exactly what they were. You need to be back behind bars, where you belong!"

"How rude to say such things to the one who made you," Aizen said mockingly, "If I hadn't stolen Kisuke's body and used him as I did, you wouldn't exist, Ren."

"I'd gladly not exist if it would mean the end of you!" Ren snapped, "And I will never stop fighting you. I'm going to fight you with everything I have! I won't let you hurt Tetsuya or anyone else!"

"You won't be able to stop me," Aizen said firmly, "But I see that if I want this procedure to go more smoothly, I must find a way to calm you. So, how about this. If you behave yourself and cooperate with me, when we leave for the royal realm, I will take only you and I will leave Tetsuya and his child alive."

"I told you I...!"

"However, if you resist me anymore, then I will follow my original plan and euthanize Tetsuya and his child when I am done with them. Also, the more you resist, the more painful I will make their deaths. If you think I am joking..."

"No," Ren said quickly, "I know you mean business. Just...it's fine. Don't hurt them, okay? I'll go with you. Fine. Just don't hurt them."

"Very well."

Aizen made several adjustments to the console, then looked back at his son's slightly calmer expression.

"You really care about them that much?" he inquired curiously, "Ren, you really haven't known them very long."

"Yeah, I know," the youth confessed, "but it doesn't matter. I feel close to them. And Kisuke gave birth to me."

"Yes, but he wasn't aware of that, and he never would have chosen to reproduce with me. You understand that, right?"

"Yeah. But that's not important."

"Oh?"

"Kisuke took me in when he could have just turned me over to the authorities. Tetsuya was my friend, even though I hurt Arashi and him. And Byakuya and Ichigo..."

"Yes, interestingly enough, they are your soul mates. But you should still be wiser than this, Ren. You are, after all, my son and because of that, you can't assume that people will accept you. They will mistrust you and the first time you make a mistake, they will assume the worst of you. Someone like you doesn't really belong among them. You belong in the royal realm, where you and I can rule over them."

"Look, I don't want to go to the royal realm. I have a family and friends here."

"You have nothing here," Aizen countered, "Those people are meaningless. Their lives will pass in the blink of an eye, Ren, but yours will go on longer. You were affected by the hougyoku, so all of those ones you care so much about will perish long before you do. I, however, will remain."

"And you think I give a shit about you?"

"I think you will come to understand that you should be with someone like you and not among those lost souls. That is all."

"Yeah, well, those lost souls mean something to me. You aren't going to change my mind about that, so you should give up trying."

"Ah," Aizen sighed, "perhaps you are right. I think I have slipped into acting the role of a parent, thinking to educate you, but forgetting that experience is sometimes necessary for the harder it makes you feel better to watch them struggle and die slowly, I suppose it doesn't matter to me if I don't crush them. Just don't expect me to hold back if they attack me. I won't."

"Whatever," Ren said defeatedly, watching as Aizen moved back to Tetsuya's bedside and adjusted the sedative attached to his IV, "Just keep your word about not hurting them and I'll do what you want."

"A wise decision," Aizen said approvingly, his eyes fixed on Tetsuya as he began to stir.

He took a few deeper breaths and his large blue eyes opened and slowly brought Aizen's face into focus.

"Tetsuya," Aizen greeted him calmly, "how are you feeling? Are you in any pain?"

"No," the noble answered weakly, "but I feel very dizzy."

"That is the sedative. It will wear off now. I am hooking up some more powerful nutrients to feed your body so that you will fare better during the next phase of the testing."

"What are you doing to me?" Tetsuya gasped, groaning as dizziness swept over him again.

"Try to remain calm," Aizen instructed him, "You want to have the best possible chances of having a healthy baby, ne?"

"Wh-what does it matter?" Tetsuya whispered, tears rising in his widened eyes, "You've said that you're going to kill us!"

"I did say that," Aizen acknowledged solemnly, "however, as my son finds the idea unpalatable, I have decided to indulge him. So, if you are quiet and well-behaved, and if you do not resist me, I will leave you and your baby here when I leave for the royal realm."

"And why should I believe you?" Tetsuya asked in a shaky voice, "You don't care about anyone, but yourself."

"Oh, now that's not true," Aizen said, giving the noble a falsely gentle smile, "I care about my son, or I would not be respecting his request for me to leave you and your child alive. Relax, Tetsuya. I am about to begin the maturation of the baby's reiatsu. In about an a half hour or so, you will be holding your child in your arms."

"No!" Tetsuya pleaded, "Don't do this! You'll hurt my baby."

"Nonsense," Aizen chided him, increasing the sedative until Tetsuya's eyes clouded slightly and his body calmed, "This is much safer than the form of it I used to bring Ren into the world. I have tested it on many lesser souls of animals and it has been nearly perfect in the outcomes."

"Nearly perfect?" Tetsuya repeated unsteadily.

"All experiments have their failures, Tetsuya. But this one, I am sure will work. I merely want to be one hundred percent sure before I use it to deliver Ren's child. Don't worry. You and your baby will be fine."

Tetsuya's eyes filled with fresh tears, but he remained still as a burst of nutrients was fed into his body and Aizen made a final set of adjustments to the machinery.

"Now then, be very calm, Tetsuya. You are about to experience a small, but very profound miracle."

"H-hey," Ren called from his bed, "Do...do you think I could sit with him?"

Aizen's eyebrow rose curiously as he looked back at his son.

"You can keep the limiter on me and I'm not going to go anywhere without Tetsuya. Please...I just want to...you know, see what's going to happen and keep him comfortable, okay?"

"I suppose you could help to keep him calm," Aizen agreed, moving back across the room and releasing him from his bonds, "Just remember that you are not able to use your powers to overcome me, and if you try, I will kill those two slowly in front of your eyes."

"Yeah, I got the picture," Ren said dryly, "I'm not going to try anything."

He walked slowly to Tetsuya and sat down beside the restrained shinigami, taking Tetsuya's hand in his and smiling at his friend.

"Ren, I'm glad you're here," Tetsuya said wearily.

"I don't know how you can say that," Ren chuckled sadly, "I got you into all of this."

"No," Tetsuya assured him, "That man was interfering with the path of my life long before you were even born. Don't blame yourself."

"How can I not blame myself?" Ren asked quietly, shaking his head, "You wouldn't be in this mess if not for me."

"Don't say that," Tetsuya pleaded softly, "Aizen Sousuke is responsible for his own actions. You never did anything to deserve..."

"What are you saying?" Ren said miserably, "I almost killed you and Arashi, and I did kill that guy in the Rukongai."

"The one that was trying to drug and imprison you," Tetsuya reminded him, "You were defending yourself. It is understandable."

"It was still wrong," Ren sighed, resting his face on Tetsuya's cool fingers, "I wonder if he rubs off on me that much."

"Don't be silly," Tetsuya said, smiling and squeezing his hand in return, "You are nothing like him. You have just been cornered and threatened too much. You didn't know who to trust."

"Yeah? Well, I know who I trust now. You're a good friend, Tetsuya. And I am going to make sure that you and your baby get to go home to Renji. I'll make sure of it."

"We will save you too," Tetsuya promised, "We aren't just going to let that man take you away."

"Tetsuya, please, don't," Ren pleaded softly, "You can't stop him. I don't know who can. But if you just cooperate, he'll let you go. He won't hurt you because I agreed to go with him."

"And you believe he will keep his word?" Tetsuya asked, "The treacherous man who turned on Soul Society and stabbed all of his friends and comrades in the back?"

"I did do that," Aizen acknowledged, "but if this works and I become king, I will not trouble myself interfering any more than I have to. Now, I will need you to focus, Tetsuya. Focus all of your attention on your child and stay focused. No matter what happens or what you feel, do not lose your focus."

Tetsuya shivered inwardly at the words, but nodded briefly. He flinched as Aizen's hands came to rest on his naked belly, caressing the pale skin and lightly infusing the area with a reiatsu that made Tetsuya frown and stare curiously.

"I stole some of Renji's reiatsu while I was in Karakura Town, preparing to capture you," the traitor explained, infusing Tetsuya's belly area gently, "I need his reiatsu to keep things stable as we go. Relax and breathe normally."

"That is going to be difficult," Tetsuya confessed, "I lost my last child..."

"That won't happen this time," Ren said, smiling encouragingly, "You'll be okay, I promise."

"Thank you, Ren-chan," Tetsuya said gratefully, "I am glad you're here."

"You'll be back with Renji soon," Ren said bracingly, lightly caressing the noble's face and hair as the machines around Tetsuya began to hum softly and a golden light rose around his midsection.

Aizen and his two captives watched raptly as the light around Tetsuya's belly flickered gently and the reiatsu around the area intensified gradually. Even more slowly, the noble's slim belly began to swell and become more round.

"Oh!" Tetsuya gasped, staring, "Are you sure that...?"

"It'll be okay," Ren said soothingly, "You'll be all right. Just keep breathing slowly."

"I feel dizzy again," Tetsuya whispered, blinking.

"Yeah, it's probably just you're so anxious to see your kid."

"Probably," Tetsuya agreed, reaching down and smiling as he rubbed the rising bump where his baby grew.

He flinched uncomfortably as his abdomen flickered and swelled, until finally it seemed as though he couldn't get any larger without bursting.

"Relax," Aizen instructed the noble, wiping the sweat away from his face, "The area above the child is beginning to lose cohesion. The baby's reiatsu should begin to emerge soon."

The three watched silently as the power around Tetsuya's belly reached its maximum, then a softer blue light appeared and the area just above where the baby rested clouded. Aizen took a steadying breath, then reached towards Tetsuya, capturing the golden cluster of reiatsu as the child emerged.

"Oh...oh kami!" Tetsuya whispered, watching with teary eyes, "Ren!"

"I see it!" Ren said excitedly, his smile widening as the cluster rose up and Aizen's hands carefully captured it.

The little cluster flickered and throbbed fitfully, then slowly began to resolve into the body of a tiny infant.

"Oh!" Tetsuya managed shakily.

"It's a girl!" Ren whispered, squeezing Tetsuya's hand, "You have a little baby girl. She looks perfect, Tetsuya!"

"R-renji and I have a daughter?" Tetsuya repeated, staring disbelievingly as the baby girl squawked, then started to wail.

Aizen examined the howling tot carefully, then nodded approvingly.

"She is perfectly healthy," he said, setting the child in Tetsuya's arms, "Congratulations to you and Renji."

He turned to Ren, who froze at the look in his wicked father's brown eyes.

"It's your turn now," he said quietly, "Lie down, Ren."

"Why don't I like the look on your face?" the younger Aizen asked, frowning, "Don't tell me. You're going to do something bad to my kid, aren't you?"

"Why would you say that?" Aizen asked, his eyes glittering dangerously, "I told you I won't hurt you."

"You won't hurt me," Ren repeated, backing away, "But what about my kid?"

Aizen's smile warmed chillingly.

"Your child will be fine, and he or she will serve a higher purpose, Ren. And remember," the traitor said, lifting a hand warningly in Tetsuya's direction, "Their lives depend on my good will. Lie down, Ren. Do not resist, or you will pay with their lives...and more!"


	11. The Protectors

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Byakuya and Ichigo race to save Tetsuya and Ren from Aizen.

"Kisuke!" Ichigo said urgently, "What are we going to do? We can't just let Aizen have Ren and Tetsuya. We have to try to save them!"

"I agree with Ichigo," Byakuya said firmly, "We cannot leave Ren and my cousin in that man's hands. They will not live to return home."

"And their babies will be lost with them," Renji said worriedly, his heart aching, "Kisuke, you did say they were both pregnant?"

"Yeah," the shopkeeper confirmed, "The testing I did just before Aizen grabbed them confirmed it."

"Man, I wonder how long that bastard was right here with us," Ichigo mused.

"Well, he couldn't have let himself be around you," Kisuke reminded him, "You still haven't seen the guy's shikai, so you would have pegged him."

Renji took in the words, then a thoughtful frown touched his lips.

"Arashi hasn't seen his power either, has he?" the redhead said, "But, what about Tetsuya? I mean, he had to have been hypnotized at some point for Aizen to be able to take him like that."

"I don't know when he might have been subject to Aizen's power," said Byakuya, "Even when Aizen was in the Seireitei, Tetsuya was never around him. I don't know when it would have happened. And that means Arashi may or may not be susceptible to Aizen's power."

"Whatever," Renji said, shaking his head, "We have to find them! You know that son of a bitch is going to use Tetsuya in some way if he bothered to take him."

"And we are all to aware of what Aizen Sousuke does to those whose usefulness runs out," added Byakuya, "Renji is correct. We have to find them now."

"But how are we gonna do that?" asked Ichigo, "How do we even know which way they went? It seems unlikely they'd go back to Las Noches, because that's the first place we'd go!"

"I think he's probably got a secret lab in there that's hidden from our forces because most of them have been hypnotized."

"Well, I haven't," Ichigo reminded him, "It's just that there's no way to really know which way they went."

Renji thought more deeply, then exchanged glances with Byakuya as both came to the same realization.

"Arashi!" they said together."

"What about him?" Ichigo asked.

"Arashi was born of Tetsuya's body," Byakuya explained quickly, "He is a part of Tetsuya, and the two share an internal form of communication."

"Aizen may be able to interfere with that if he has drugged or otherwise affected Tetsuya," Kisuke suggested.

"Yeah," agreed Renji, "but Arashi doesn't have to make contact with Tetsuya to help us find them. He can always sense Tetsuya because he's a part of him."

"Then, it looks like we'd better find Arashi and get moving," Kisuke said, turning to lead the others out of the room.

Byakuya, Renji and Ichigo followed, their faces set and determined. They found the stallion grazing behind the shop and Renji flash stepped to him.

"Fleabag, we're really gonna need your help!" he cried, "Tetsuya and Ren are in real trouble. They've been taken by Aizen!"

"Can you reach Tetsuya's mind to ask if he knows where he is?" Byakuya asked.

 _No_ , the stallion replied, speaking into the four men's minds, _Tetsuya is unconscious. I sense he has not been harmed, but there is an oddity in his reiatsu._

"That may be the new pregnancy," said Kisuke, "Arashi, can you sense Tetsuya's location?"

_Yes. He is in Hueco Mundo. But I cannot hone in on him exactly until we have entered that world._

"Okay," said Kisuke, "I hope you boys have your weapons sharpened and your reiatsu at maximum, because we're going to Hueco Mundo!"

XXXXXXXXXX

"I am going to warn you one more time to do as I say, and then I am going to kill those two, Ren," Aizen said, moving closer to the two, "You said that you don't want your friend and his child to die, didn't you?"

"Ren," Tetsuya said sadly, "You don't have to do this."

"What are you saying?" Ren exclaimed, fighting tears, "He'll kill you if I don't obey him!"

"I know," Tetsuya acknowledged, his voice strangely calm, "but you have a child to think about too. You...remember, don't you? You remember what Kisuke said that he thought Aizen might want your child to make a more powerful body for himself?"

"Is that true?" Ren demanded, placing a hand protectively over his abdomen, "Are you going to kill my baby to use it to make yourself more powerful?"

"Understand this, Ren," Aizen said in a soothing tone, "Your child will not suffer at all. The child's reiatsu will simply be absorbed by mine as I enter the cluster and bond with it. So, although your child will not survive, it is not like it would ever have been fully alive."

"My baby is alive!" Ren screamed, cringing back against Tetsuya as Aizen closed in on him, "It doesn't matter if it will hurt him, you're still killing him!"

"Your baby doesn't have a gender right now, Ren," Aizen continued as he reached the two young men and paused in front of them.

Ren placed himself between Aizen and Tetsuya, shuddering as Aizen's hand touched his face and the traitor's dark brown eyes gazed solemnly into his.

"Your baby doesn't have a mind. It has no senses, but the awareness that it senses it is not alone. That is not yet life, Ren. And don't worry. When we go to the royal realm, you can have other children. I will spare your true resonants and they will be your own concubines, if you wish."

"I don't care about any of that!" Ren panted, his eyes rounding as Aizen's hand caressed his slim abdomen, "I just don't want you to...!"

"I appreciate your humanity, to an extent," Aizen went on, "but at the same time, you don't need to have such strong feelings for the already dead, Ren."

"My baby is alive!" Ren sobbed, cringing away from Aizen, "You're a liar! Get away from us! Leave us alone, you animal!"

Aizen's eyes grew suddenly cold.

"I see," he said, glowering at the two and the baby Tetsuya held, "You seem to have forgotten that you promised me your cooperation in return for me sparing the lives of Tetsuya and his child. I have given you all of the warnings I am going to. Now, are you going to lie down and cooperate? Or should I end their lives now?"

"D-don't hurt them!" Ren pleaded, "Let them out of here. Let them go. You said you'd let them go!"

"Tetsuya and his child are in no state to leave this place. And they would have no protection as Tetsuya's powers will not be functional for several days after giving birth. No, they need to wait here as we see to this task. Lie down, Ren. Lie down or I will begin their slow and terrifying death right now!"

"Okay!" Ren said in a devastated tone.

"Ren, no!" Tetsuya objected.

"I can't!" Ren said, turning back and looking into Tetsuya's frightened eyes, "I have to make a choice, and you and your baby are my choice. He isn't going to hurt me, and I'll just...I'll just have to live with what happens."

"But, Ren...!" Tetsuya pleaded, holding his daughter tightly as tears leaked down his face, "I...I don't want you to lose your child. I have suffered through that. I know how hard it is. You...!"

"That's why," Ren said, smiling sadly and placing a hand on Tetsuya's dampened face, "That's why I have to save you both. Rest, okay? You'll be with Renji soon, I promise."

Tetsuya started to answer, but made a sound of surprise and fell back as Aizen suddenly rendered him unconscious. Ren took the baby girl in his arms and gently laid her is a small bassinet that stood next to the examination table Tetsuya laid on. He kissed her on the cheek and closed his eyes for a moment, gathering himself.

"You made a very difficult decision," Aizen said approvingly, "I know that it's hard for you. If you like, I can remove your memory of ever having made this child. After all, Ren, it's only just been conceived and has no real consciousness."

"That doesn't matter," Ren whispered, "The baby's real to me. What's not real is you. I hate you. And if I ever get the chance, I'm going to kill you."

"Those are brave words," Aizen said, taking hold of the younger man's wrist and pulling him towards the second examination table, "But...how are you going to kill a man who is immortal, Ren? Tell me that. As long as I am fused with the hogyoku, I am not able to die. How will you or anyone else kill me?"

Ren looked back at him through defeated eyes, his heart aching as Aizen laid him down on the table and bound him tightly. His mind spun, Aizen's words echoing all around him.

_"Your baby doesn't have a mind. It has no senses, but the awareness that it senses it is not alone. That is not yet life, Ren."_

"I am going to give you a sedative, so that you won't be aware. I think you are too distraught and may not fare well during the procedure if I don't protect you."

"You want to protect me?" Ren said numbly, "Why? You're probably just going to kill me too."

"Now, why would I do that?" Aizen asked, "You are, after all, my son, my own kin. Because of you, I will have family in the royal realm. I know you are upset and angry now, but you will cope with those feelings and come to understand that I was trapped. I could not achieve my desires without doing this."

 _His...desires_? Ren thought dizzily, his eyes touching the hogyoku where Aizen's top had opened slightly.

Aizen leaned over him again, working carefully as he began an IV.

_The hogyoku grants desires...to those with the power to achieve them. That's what Kisuke said. I wonder if it senses mine._

"In a moment, you will begin to lose consciousness. Just relax. When you wake, we will leave for the royal realm."

_If I could just touch it...it could hear me. Maybe..._

He strained against his bonds, trying to move, but unable to do so.

_"Your baby doesn't have a mind. It has no senses, but the awareness that it senses it is not alone. That is not yet life, Ren."_

He felt the coolness of the sedative as it entered his body and moments later, dizziness swept over him.

_Damn! If only I could..._

His thoughts were interrupted by a huge crashing sound as the door to Aizen's laboratory exploded and four men flash stepped into view.

"Renji, protect Tetsuya and the baby!" Byakuya ordered the redhead.

"I've got it!" Renji shouted, flash stepping to Tetsuya as Aizen turned and smiled at the four, "Bankai! Hihio, Zabimaru!"

The skeletal snake wrapped protectively around Renji, the baby girl and the unconscious Tetsuya.

"You think you have saved them?" Aizen said, still smiling wickedly, "You are all going to die!"

"Bankai!" Byakuya exclaimed, "Senkei, Senbonzakura Kageyoshi!"

Aizen watched as Byakuya's pink swords swiftly wrapped around them, shutting them away from Renji and the two he protected.

"A capable move," Aizen complimented him, "It does protect Tetsuya and his child, but as you see, I still have my son. How will you get him away from me? All I have to do..."

"Your illusions won't work on me!" yelled Ichigo surging forward and slashing at him.

Aizen shattered Ren's bindings, grabbed him and flash stepped away. He paused on the far side of the fighting chamber, holding the barely conscious young man against him.

"So, they don't," he agreed, "But it is simple enough to hypnotize you while trapped in here."

He moved again as Byakuya flash stepped and slashed at his back.

"Remember that you cannot escape me in this chamber," the noble warned Aizen, My Senbonzakura will find you in this chamber, even if you defy my senses!"

"You're not going to get away," Kisuke said, remaining close to Ichigo, "Two of the three of us can't be fooled by your illusions. Now, give Ren back to us."

"There is no way that I am giving my son back to you," Aizen taunted them, "We are leaving this place together, and there is nothing you can do about it. Follow if you want to die, but don't think you'll get him back!"

Ren stirred softly against his chest, blinking dizzily and trying to make sense of what was happening.

"How are you going to get out of here?" Byakuya asked, "No one has ever shattered this chamber, not ever. You cannot escape."

Ren felt something hard touching his back and reeled as realization struck him.

_The hogyoku!_

He focused deeply as the man holding him continued to taunt the others.

_With him focused on them and me touching the hogyoku..._

He reached out with his mind.

_Hogyoku, can you help me? I know you feel the desires of others. Can you feel mine? I want...to come to you. Can you let me inside? My powers are held back, but if I am touching you, I can..._

He felt the stirring of another consciousness and a feeling like reaching, then he screamed as something tugged him away and sent him crashing down into blackness.

Within the confines of Byakuya's senkei, the noble and his allies watched in horror as Ren's slender body suddenly shimmered and slowly disappeared.

"What is this?" Aizen roared, "What have you done with him?"

"Don't look at us," Kisuke said, holding his sword ready, "You're the one who had him. None of us have moved."

"What the hell did you do with him?" Ichigo shouted, "Don't pull any crap with us! Let him go!"

"We will not let you out of this chamber until you release Ren," Byakuya said sternly, "Free him now."

Aizen's dark eyes became thoughtful and he reached down to touch the hogyoku.

"He disappeared and none of you were responsible," the traitor mused, "If that is so, then..."

The three rescuers felt an inward shudder as Aizen's smile widened, and he started to laugh. They exchanged worried glances as Aizen's laugh grew louder and more wicked and his reiatsu swelled and began to roar around him.

"Get him!" Ichigo howled, flash stepping wildly as Byakuya and Kisuke did the same. The three slashed at the laughing traitor, only to sense a blistering flash step and a blazing strike that manage to cut all three. Blood exploded around them and they skidded to a stop, all of them grasping at a shoulder or midsection. Aizen's laughter mingled viciously with his burgeoning reiatsu and Byakuya's pink swords suddenly exploded. The three rescuers were thrown down roughly as the blast destroyed Aizen's laboratory and sent debris crashing into the skeletal snake and the hastily conjured reiatsu shields of the reeling defenders. Smoke and dust filled their noses and eyes, making them cough fitfully as Aizen disappeared into the haze, and the reiatsu in the area decreased rapidly.

"Damn it, he got away!" Ichigo yelled, choking on his words.

"Ren is gone too," Byakuya observed, looking around, then watching as the skeletal snake slid away to reveal Renji, Tetsuya and the baby.

"What the hell happened?" Renji demanded, holding his daughter against him protectively, "Where's Aizen?"

"I'm not sure," Kisuke said, shaking his head, "but I have a suspicion where Ren went."

"Where?" Byakuya queried, frowning.

"His power allows him to enter the inner worlds of other people. He was touching Aizen."

"You mean, you think he entered Aizen's inner world?" Ichigo asked.

"No, if he had, then Aizen wouldn't have acted like he didn't know about it. I think Ren tried something even more extreme, and more dangerous. I think our buddy Ren entered the hogyoku's inner world!"


	12. On the Inside

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As Byakuya and Ichigo rush to rescue Ren and Tetsuya, Ren tries to use his power in a different arena.

"Kisuke," Ichigo said urgently, looking around at the destroyed lab, "How are we going to get Ren back? We can't let Aizen have him."

"Not just because he is our true resonant," Byakuya added, "If Aizen is able to use the reiatsu cluster in Ren..."

"He'll empower himself so that the hogyoku will acknowledge his power and accept him again. Once that happens, he will command the hogyoku like he did before and he'll transform into something we just don't have the ability to fight," Kisuke worried.

"So, for all our sakes, we need to find him and stop him!" Renji said determinedly.

Byakuya and Ichigo exchanged glances, and a look of understanding passed between them. Byakuya approached Renji and laid a hand on his shoulder.

"Renji..."

The redhead's eyes widened.

"Oh no, Taichou, you're not going after Aizen without me! I'm not going to abandon you when..."

"You will instead abandon your husband and newborn child?" Byakuya asked.

Renji gave him a look of dismay.

"M-my...?"

"Byakuya-sama, I don't think it's fair to pressure Renji," Tetsuya said solemnly, "He was set up to impregnate me. He and I were using a protection charm, but Aizen tampered with it, so that I would become pregnant. He was planning all along to use me to test the procedure he was going to use on Ren. He confessed to me that he was behind the experiments that I was subjected to in Itamigiri, and was the one responsible for me being able to be impregnated, in the first place. Renji shouldn't have to marry someone just because of Aizen's manipulations."

"Whoa, wait a sec!" Renji complained, "Would you guys hold on? First, I'm not upset about the idea of marrying Tetsuya. It was just a surprise to hear you say it like it's already happened, Taichou. I mean, we haven't even talked about marriage yet."

"But," Byakuya interjected, "the rules of our clan say that upon creation of a noble child, the parents are considered as in a common law marriage. This is to protect Tetsuya's honor."

"And I'm all for that," Renji assured him, "I love Tetsuya, and I'm okay with marrying him and having our baby a little sooner than I expected. I would like an actual wedding..."

"Yes, well, we can see to that later, when everyone's safe."

"But you can't take off and face Aizen and leave me here, Taichou!" Renji objected, "I'm your fukutaichou and I..."

"I appreciate your loyalty," Byakuya said appreciatively, "but what I most need from you is for you to get Tetsuya and your daughter safely back to Kisuke's shop. Once they are under Tessai's care, you may certainly track me and assist us, but you must protect your family."

"Yeah," Renji said, calming as Byakuya's words sank in, "S-sorry, I just...don't want anything bad to happen to you again, Taichou."

"Ichigo and Kisuke will be with me. I will be all right, Renji. Go on, now. Take Tetsuya and your daughter to safety."

"I will," Renji said, helping Tetsuya to his feet and looking down at their lovely red-haired, blue-eyed girl.

Tetsuya set the baby in Renji's arms and watched closely as Renji grinned down at her.

"It's so weird," he mused, "I can't believe this is real, you know? I wasn't to the point of thinking about marriage or kids, but...she's...really amazing, Tetsuya. I feel like my heart's gonna bust from being so happy."

"I'm happy too. But let's get back quickly, please. I can't be of help, because my powers will not return for a few days after having her, so I'll need you to protect my cousin for me."

"I will," Renji promised, "Now, let's get you two home!"

Kisuke, Ichigo and Byakuya watched as Renji led Tetsuya out of the partially destroyed lab, then they turned their attention to the problem of finding Aizen.

"Where do you think he could have gone now?" Ichigo asked, "He just disappeared!"

"And he looked like he knew something we didn't," Kisuke added, "I think he did know something. But I think I know what it is."

"What is that?" Byakuya asked.

"Well, Ren's power seems to be that he can enter the inner world of a soul and can win control of the soul's zanpakutou. Now, the hogyoku's not a regular soul, but a transcendent one. When Ren was in physical contact with Aizen, he must have been able to connect with the hogyoku and, even though his greater powers were sealed away, he was able to slip into the hogyoku's inner world. I'll bet you anything that Aizen has also done that. They're in what is kind of like an alternate dimension. Usually, they would be beyond our reach."

"But you think you have a solution to that?" Byakuya inquired.

"I think so," Kisuke confirmed, "You see, the two of you are true resonants with Ren, and that being the case, it is possible that you can latch on to his reiatsu and basically follow him in there. I can't go. I have to help you in, then wait for all of you to return."

"But what are we going to do about Aizen, once we're inside?" Ichigo asked, "I guess Byakuya can lock us into his senkei and I can avoid looking at his shikai, but..."

"You're not going to engage Aizen, if you can avoid it," Kisuke said firmly, "You need to latch onto Ren and get the hell out of there as fast as you can."

"But Aizen will be there!" Ichigo insisted, "How are we supposed to avoid him?"

"Well, he'll probably be focused on Ren. He might know you could show up, but I'll bet his focus will be on finishing the process he started here. He may try to get the hogyoku to work with him so that it will have a master it can respect. I hate to say it, but the chances are good that the hogyoku would go along with that. You need to stop it by taking Ren and having him bust you out."

"We'll get him out," Ichigo promised, "but how do we get in?"

"You said that we could us our link with him?" Byakuya remembered.

"Yeah," Kisuke confirmed, "Ichigo, take Byakuya's hands, look into his eyes, and both of you need to concentrate on Ren's reiatsu. There are remaining flickers of it in the air here. Focus on that and follow it in your minds. You should begin to 'see' him where he is. Once you do, you can reach through and join with him. It's the only way I can think of for us to reach those two, so it had better work!"

"We'll make it work," Ichigo said in a determined voice, extending his hands and taking Byakuya's, "Let's do this, Byakuya!"

The Kuchiki leader accepted Ichigo's hands, and the two focused their eyes on each other, looking in deeply and concentrating on their connection to Ren. Within moments, Ichigo made a sound of triumph and Byakuya nodded approvingly.

"We can feel his presence," Byakuya informed Kisuke.

"Can you see through his eyes?" Kisuke asked.

There was a moment of silence, then Byakuya nodded again.

"We have it."

"Does Ren sense you?" inquired the shopkeeper.

"I don't know," Ichigo whispered, focusing harder, "I feel him there, but..."

"It is hazy," Byakuya reported, "It is hard to fix on him."

"It's the nature of the beast," Kisuke said softly, "I know because I created it. The hogyoku was made from the despair of lost souls who were trapped in the dangai. I found that I could gather the resonance of that emotion and it had a power of its own. You probably know that there is a power in the things you really want in life. We all have desires, dreams we pursue as we go through life. Some of these, we achieve, but some, we don't. And when a soul doesn't reach a desperate ambition, there is a lot of despair when it dies. When these haunted souls pass over, sometimes they become lost within the shadows. The cleaner is supposed to handle them, but some manage to escape it, and they wander in the darkness. I went into the dangai and found those lost souls. I gathered them in the hogyoku's facets, promising them that they would be able to feel the beauty of completing dreams and desires by bringing the dreams and ambitions of the people around them to life."

"How does that work?" Ichigo mused.

"You remember that your nakama didn't always have the powers they do," Urahara explained, "The hogyoku I made and put into Rukia affected them, sensing their desire to help protect and awakening their potential power so that they could develop it. The power was there, but it took the touch of those lost souls to awaken it. That is the power of the hogyoku. When it feels the success of the one gaining new power or reaching a desire, the hogyoku, through its connection with that person, receives that feeling of completion it never had. The stronger the person's ambition, the more intense the hogyoku's feeling of completion is. And that's why the hogyoku seeks the strongest person to be its master. The completion of that person's desire will help the hogyoku finally reach that pinnacle the souls within it never could. That is the hogyoku's desire...to know that feeling it has never been able to."

"It's rather sad," Byakuya intoned softly, "that the hogyoku's desire is one of such futility. It will never know true completion. Its own wishes are just a shadow. Even if it finds the strongest person, and that person reaches his desire..."

"Yeah," Kisuke agreed, "I wonder if the hogyoku will ever come to understand that."

"Kisuke," Ichigo said in a calm, quiet voice, "We'll make it understand."

"Good," said the shopkeeper, "If there's any hope of doing this and coming back, that's the key. Go on, now. Focus hard. Go to Ren. Bring him back safe."

"We will," Byakuya promised.

Kisuke's eyes widened as the other two men increased their concentration on the flickers of Ren's reiatsu that still resonated in the air around them. The bits began to spin closer to the two, and a glow rose around them. Byakuya and Ichigo honed in on the connection between themselves and the missing Ren, closing their eyes and gradually beginning to see through their resonant's.

 _It seems that Ren is something like the hogyoku, in that he has wandered for much of his life_ , Byakuya and Ichigo thought together, _It is when the three of us are together that we know ourselves and reach our full potential. That is why we need each other. That is why we love each other. And that is why we will fight for each other!_

The glow around Byakuya and Ichigo brightened into a blinding light, and as Kisuke watched, the two began to disappear into it. Slowly, they faded from view, and the light around them dimmed and gradually died out. Kisuke sighed as the destroyed lab grew still and shadowed, his eyes sad as he thought about his secret son.

_I used to think about settling down and having kids, but I always got so wrapped up in inventions and putting out fires that I never really found the right person to settle down with. I never had a kid. It's funny. When Ren arrived and I found out that he was my kid, I could only see that we were nothing alike. He's a young punk, just trying to live a normal life. I never knew what normal was, and I probably never will._

_But I see now that Ren and I are connected._

_He and I both know that what Aizen is doing is wrong, and we're willing to do anything to stop him. I may not have settled down and had Ren because I wanted to, but I see now that he's a part of me._

Kisuke paused as he suddenly registered that the glow that had risen around Byakuya and Ichigo had returned. He stared in surprise and felt the connection between himself and his son open wide. A smile rose on his lips and he caught his breath in surprise as he felt the young man reach in his direction.

_Of course. I don't know why I didn't get it before. Ren is more than just the kid Aizen used me to make...he's my unfulfilled dream._

_That's why I can reach him now too!_

XXXXXXXXXX

Ren opened his eyes and found himself standing in darkness. It was as though he had turned off the lights, and was caught in that odd moment it took for his eyes to adjust. He blinked several times and slowly registered there were large shapes around him. They resolved into the forms of rocks and trees that dotted a lonely, bleak landscape.

_I was never all that afraid of the dark, Ren reasoned, because what I couldn't talk my way out of or beat in a fight, I could outrun._

_This is different._

_I can't talk Aizen out of using my kid. I don't think I stand a chance of beating him in a fight. I can't run away, and I can't hide from him forever. But if there's hope for me, it's here. Kisuke made the hogyoku to sense and bring to life the deepest desires of the ones around it, and right now, my deepest desire is to survive. It can only help a soul reach a desire that is possible for it, so I'm really hoping I have it in me to survive. I don't want my kid or me to die. I want us to live._

_I want us to really live._

_I want to go back and have this kid and stay with my lovers. I want to see the things our kid gets from Byakuya, the most beautiful shinigami, Ichigo, the most protective and me. Heh, I don't know what exactly I am. I guess you could say that just like Byakuya's about internal and external beauty and Ichigo's about being a strong protector, I'm about being strong enough to stand on my own. I had no one when I was a kid and my mother died. I was lucky enough to be taken in and loved by my foster parents, but I never wanted to be a burden. No. I wanted to be strong and smart so that I could take care of myself and make it easier for them. I wanted to give something back for what they gave me. And all along, I wanted a real life, a full life...a happy life._

_I still want that._

"I want to live too," a soft voice whispered.

Ren blinked and looked around.

He could see the trees and rocks, the winding trails and the grey sky above him, but he couldn't yet see the soul of the hogyoku.

"Where are you?" he asked, "Will you come out so that I can see you?"

He held his breath as he was only answered by silence. The strange quiet went on for several minutes before Ren heard a soft hissing and spotted a shadowy form peeking out from behind one of the trees. The shadow seemed humanoid, but stood barely up to his knees in height.

"Is that you?" he asked calmly, "Are you the soul of the hogyoku?"

"I am," the little shadow whispered, it's soft voice echoing strangely and sounding to Ren like a mixture of many voices together, "I am glad you are here, Aizen Rhazhah Ketsuekibara."

"Uh, no one really calls me that," he chuckled, "Call me Ren."

"I too am called by a simpler name, although my being would be called by hundreds of names, not one."

Ren frowned and considered the words carefully.

"People call you the hougyoku, but that's not your real name?" he asked.

"I don't have only one name. There were many lost souls in the dangai, wandering hopelessly when we were saved by Urahara Kisuke and placed in the crystal he called the hogyoku...but hogyoku is not our name."

"Oh, I get it," Ren affirmed, "You're actually a lot of souls brought and put in here together."

"We are not wholes, but pieces," the voice corrected him.

"Pieces of lost souls?" Ren repeated sadly, "Yeah, I understand. I feel kinda lost too. I'm trying really hard to protect myself and my kid, but I don't know how to get away from Aizen Sousuke. Can you tell me, is there a way I can stop him from hurting us?"

"Aizen Sousuke is fused with us," the hogyoku explained, "Like you, our fate is tied to him."

"Can you stop him?" asked Ren, "Can you use your power to do that?"

The shadow was silent for a moment.

"I can only bring to life desires that are possible for the one who wishes them."

"Is it possible for me to defeat Aizen?"

"No."

"Can I get away from him?"  


"No. But you can face him and find a way to save the life you carry, Ren."

"Yes, you can," Aizen's voice said sedately, the sound sending a chill down Ren's spine.

The young man watched in dismay as Aizen appeared behind the little shadow and moved to stand beside it.

"If you face me now and accept the fate prescribed for that bit of life in you, your child's soul will provide me with my desire, a body strong enough to finally fully master the hogyoku. When I do that, all things will be possible, Ren. I will be soul king. You will not lose that soul within you, but see it elevated to the greatest power our worlds have ever known. The hogyoku, too, will find its dream...that of serving the most powerful of masters and feeling the happiness of my completion."

"No! I'm not letting you take my kid's soul!" Ren cried, backing away.

Aizen's eyes looked deeply into Ren's and Ren's body stiffened in horror.

"Don't you understand?" Aizen went on, "The hogyoku and I are fused. We are one soul. Do you see it now, Ren? You thought you were escaping by coming here, but instead, you were only sealing all our fates!"


	13. Depths

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Byakuya, Ichigo and Ren face Aizen in a climactic battle inside the hougyoku's inner world.

Ren wasn't sure what had happened. He remembered Aizen standing in front of him and his eyes closing, then a feeling of connection with the spirits who had spoken to him before. But his mind was hazy and he felt as though his body floated, suspended on a warm, soothing breeze. He couldn't move or open his eyes at first, but he could sense that he wasn't alone. All around him, he sensed, were other bits and pieces of sentient life that had been gathered and fed to the glowing orb called hougyoku.

At first, he was frightened, so frightened that his heart pounded achingly hard. He breathed quickly in and out, in and out, struggling against the weight that impeded him. After a time, he was able to open his eyes, only to find that they were of little use in the grayness and cloudiness that surrounded him. But although he couldn't see well, he could sense the odds and ends of souls that populated the core of the hougyoku, could hear their mingled voices and could feel the desperation that permeated the very air around them.

_Ren...Aizen Ren...Ren...Ren..._

"Who are you?" Ren pleaded softly, flinching as he felt the little bits of reiatsu brush longingly against his more radiant soul, "Are you the ones he fed to the hougyoku? The lost souls?"

 _Not souls_ , the voices reminded him in unison, _We are only part of souls...the part that dreams, the part that wants, the part that desires. Do you know why souls have desires, Ren?_

He turned his body slowly, closing his eyes again and reaching out to brush his fingers against the little reiatsu clouds. And he found that each felt unique and powerful in its own way, each presented a different strong urge or want he could feel.

"I don't know why we have desires," Ren confessed, "All they ever seemed to do was get me into trouble."

_Desire allows us to form strong ambitions...goals that lead to change, the voices whispered to him, All of us are the voices that called out from within the souls we inhabited, to change those souls in some way._

"But not all desires are good," Ren said softly, feeling an ache of sadness as he felt the close presence of Aizen Sousuke's soul that held the hougyoku, "Aizen Sousuke's desires led to ambitions that hurt all of you. He stole you from the souls that held you. He imprisoned you here."

_Yes._

"But why...why do you help him? Aren't you angry that he took you against the will of your souls?"

 _We were...and we are again. Aizen Sousuke took us and gathered us within the orb. He whispered to us his desire to become king, and we saw that he had the ability to do so. We trusted his strength, but it fell short, and we were left trapped in his body. He cannot become king in the form he inhabits, but if he uses your child to make a stronger body for himself, he would again be able to reach for the crown. We have no other way to have our own desires met, so we must help him._  


"But it's wrong!" Ren insisted, "You know it's wrong! This baby inside me..."

 _That soul in you is not yet sentient_ , the voices explained, _It is pure possibility. It is born of other strong shinigamis and will house the potential to be greater than Aizen, greater in power than any being that inhabits the known worlds. Allowing Aizen Sousuke to inhabit that body means that we will be bonded to that greatness. Why shouldn't we want that? If we couldn't be realized within the souls we were part of, shouldn't we embrace the completion we were denied before?_

"They are right, Ren," Aizen's voice intoned, "Their only hope of being fulfilled lies in me."

Ren twisted his body, turning his head this way and that, searching through narrowed eyes until he spotted the glowing form of Aizen Sousuke approaching him.

"That's not true! You're a liar!" Ren accused him, reeling as Aizen floated towards him, moving effortlessly through the hazy environs, "Don't come near me! I'll...!"

"You'll what?" Aizen asked, smirking, "You'll use my zanpakutou against me like you did before, when you entered my inner world? You have to know that I won't be surprised this time. Even though your power is a deadly one, as Kuchiki Tetsuya learned, it is a young power. You haven't come near mastering it yet, so in the face of one like me who has fully mastered his powers, you have no hope of succeeding."

Aizen came to a stop, hovering in front of him as Ren held up his hands defensively.

"Don't come any closer!" he warned Aizen.

"Or what?" Aizen mocked him, "You have no power that I can't overcome. Why don't you try something and see where it gets you?"

"I'm not falling into that trap!" Ren snapped, "I'll find a way to defeat you."

"But how?" Aizen reasoned, matter-of-factly, "You might have been able to use my power against me, had you entered my inner world, but you didn't. You entered the hougyoku instead. And you see, there is no zanpakutou for you to control. Your power is useless here. But go ahead. Try to attack me. You can't, can you?"

Ren loosed a powerful kido blast, only to watch in dismay as Aizen's reiatsu swelled dangerously around his body, constricting around Ren's trapped form and beginning to squeeze.

"Do you understand now?" Aizen asked, gazing down into Ren's terrified eyes and increasing the pressure until the younger man was left unable to move at all and gasping just to breathe, "You are helpless before me...here, and everywhere else. There is nothing you can do."

"Let me go, you son of a bitch!" Ren screamed, struggling against the heavy pressure all around him, "I won't let you win!"

"Ren, don't you understand, you will win too," Aizen explained in a maddeningly calm tone, "Yes, you will lose your child, but we will gain a place in the heavens, and from there, we can change the worlds...anything we desire, we can make happen!"

"I'm not letting you take my baby!" howled Ren, forcing his stiff arms into wrapping around his torso protectively.

Ren's mind reeled as he felt the little bits of soul close in and begin to strike his trapped body from all directions. And with each touch, the whispers of their voices assaulted his mind.

_Let us in! Let us in! Let us in!_

"N-no!" he gasped, tightening his arms around himself and curling into a ball, "I won't let you!"

"It's all right," Aizen said soothingly, "They just want to enter the baby's reiatsu. They will open the way for the reiatsu to grow, so that I can enter it and use it to construct my new form. Relax. Let them in, Ren."

"No!" Ren panted, his chest heaving and his arms and legs shaking with effort, "No, stop!"

 _Let us in! Let us in! Let us in!_ the soul bits chanted, pressing in all around him.

Ren shut his eyes tightly, screaming as he felt the tiny soul bits begin to invade his struggling body, so many all at once that he couldn't possibly expel them all. But just as he felt his defenses breaking, a huge explosion of reiatsu roared through the area, scattering the invading soul bits and tearing him free of Aizen's control. He spun out of control for a moment, before taking a breath and righting himself. And as his senses cleared, he found himself staring at the backs of two shinigamis that had taken up a position between Aizen and him.

 _Byakuya_? he mused inwardly, gazing breathlessly at the Kuchiki leader's lovely silhouette before moving on to his taller, spiky haired companion, _Ichigo? But...?_

"What a useless display!" Aizen mocked the two, "Impressive, yes, but you will accomplish nothing. I will simply kill the two of you and finish what I started."  
He paused, looking them over curiously.

"But before I do kill you, will you tell me how you managed to enter this place? This...the hougyoku's inner world, is under my control. Ren could enter because of his unique power, but you two..."

Moving together, Byakuya and Ichigo wordlessly released huge blasts of reiatsu, Byakuya's in the form of twin lotus bursts and Ichigo's from the end of his extended blade.

"We didn't come here to talk!" Ichigo scolded him as Aizen was driven back several steps under the force of the attack, "We came here to stop you, and that's what we're going to do!"

"I don't know how," Aizen mused, raising a hand to hold off a second volley, "You are powerful. That's what made it possible for me to use the baby in Ren's body. Think about it. This body is made of mine and Kisuke's, the two greatest minds in the worlds, combined with your bodies and Ren's. All of that potential is bound into this child's developing soul. It will be easy to harness that and use it to remake myself. In a few minutes, you two will be dead and I will take on a form that no one can stand against! You would have lived longer if you had only not been so impulsive, coming in here where you will only fall to my power mingled with that of the hougyoku!"

"We aren't going to allow this," Byakuya said, firing another blast of kido that forced Aizen back another step, "We will find a way to stop you!"

"Not likely," Aizen chuckled, "You are wasting your time and mine. But just a move of my hand and you will be swept aside."

Aizen's reiatsu pulsated around him, throbbing and swelling.

"Have you noticed?" the traitor asked them sedately, "My reiatsu is even stronger than before. I have begun to draw on the power of the soul pieces that the hougyoku ingested. As I take over the reiatsu within Ren's body, "the soul bits will compact and form my new zanpakutou...one that will be unequaled by any that ever existed."

Ren stiffened at the words, his mind working furiously to latch on to the tiny bit of hope that they created.

_Those broken bits of old lost hopes and desires will come together to form a zanpakutu!_

"Hold him back!" he roared, earning quick looks of surprise from the two shinigamis who protected him, "Just hold him off for a minute or two. I know what to do to stop him!"

Byakuya's dark grey eyes locked on his for a moment and tears leaked onto Ren's face at how beautiful he looked, surrounded by the eerie lights of the soul bits and a heavy breeze billowing his clothes and long swirls of raven black hair. Beside him, Ichigo's eyes glowed fiercely, his skin whitening dangerously as the bright orbs turned golden and his hollow mask began to form.

"We won't let him through," the two men promised.

Byakuya raised his blade, tip down and let it fall.

"Bankai, Senkei, Senbonzakura Kageyoshi."

More tears streamed down Ren's face as the pink swords of Byakuya's senkei closed around the three others, buying him the precious moments he needed.

_They're strong, but if Aizen is able to draw on the strength of the hougyoku, they will die. I can't let that happen...but there's only one way... ___

He focused on the little bits of soul clustered around his body and pushing against him to get inside.

 _Come in_ , he invited them, _Come in and I'll show you what your hopes and dreams should be!_

Screams like firebells escaped him as the soul fragments passed through and into his soul, circling all through him and mingling their voices as they spoke to him.

_Thank you..._

_Thank you..._

_Thank you..._

_Because of you, we will have hope._

_Because of you, we will have power._

_Because you, we will have life again!_

Ren felt a surge of wonder as the soul fragments wheeled and spun inside of him, and their long lost hopes and desires flooded his weary mind and aching heart.

_You are welcome here, he promised them, Here, inside me, you will find what was stolen from you. But, you don't have to give yourselves to the demon who stole you away and trapped you. Instead, you can form a different sword, one that is filled with new life and great potential. Aizen won't control you anymore. And the master you will have, will be one who will love and respect you as you deserve. Look at the ones out there, working to protect you now. They are noble men, powerful and loyal men. They wield their weapons, aiming them at peace, harmony and love. Those are desires we can all understand, aren't they? And you won't find those things if you follow Aizen Sousuke._

_Please..._

_Please help me!_

_Only together can we stop him!_

_Please help us to defeat him!_

Sound exploded forcefully in Ren's ears, a deafening roar as the pink swords enclosing Aizen, Byakuya and Ichigo shattered and erupted into dust.

"No!" Ren sobbed, watching as Byakuya's bloodied form slowly collapsed, leaving Aizen locked against Ichigo's straining hollow form, "Please, help us!"

Deep in the core of his soul, fiery reiatsu began to flare, burning him until he couldn't hold back ringing howls of agony. In front of him, Aizen drove his weapon through Ichigo's hollowfied body and shoved him away, clearing the path to Ren. Ren steeled himself, watching with terrified eyes as Aizen strode forward, smiling devilishly.

"You see," he chided Ren, "They only threw their lives away for nothing. Nothing is what you gained from defying me, my son. Now, I will have that new soul. I will use it make my new body, and I will use the hougyoku's power to make a new world for us."

Ren's teeth clenched and his lips curled in fury as he raised a weapon that no longer looked anything like his own zanpakutou. Instead, the new sword glowed with the conflagration of the myriad of souls that had been eaten by the hougyoku, all of them howling in triumph and lending their power as Ren pointed the weapon at his surprised father and loosed a few last words.

"Not if I use that power first!"

Aizen's brown eyes rounded as the blade glowed and hummed with life, screaming its hatred at what the rogue shinigami had done and promising death. As bright blue power erupted from the sword, he threw all of his strength against it, shielding himself, but roaring in dismay as he was thrown forcefully backwards and expelled from within the hougyoku's inner world. Ren screamed a final time as fire seemed to rip through everything, and he wondered if the end had come. He sobbed out the names of his lovers, wondering if they, too, were being burned alive. But as despair tore at his heart, he heard the many voices from before join and very slowly become one.

_Thank you. We are grateful to you, Aizen Rhazhah Ketsuekibara. We go now to join with your child's soul...to be that power that will always be with him. Together, we will seek our hopes and dreams together, not as the slaves Aizen Sousuke would have made us. Goodbye for a while._

_We will meet again..._

Ren felt himself falling helplessly, his vision swiftly fading and his mind settling into a deep, impenetrable stillness. He wondered if he still lived as he floated in darkness and unbroken quiet. He wanted to cry as he remembered watching Byakuya and Ichigo fall, protecting him. He felt again their touches on his body as the resonance made them one, creating that beautiful bit of hope that still radiated somewhere deep inside him. He clung to that tiny spot of life, so very tired, but unable to sleep, not knowing if either of his two soul resonants still lived.

Very slowly, life crept back into his body, chasing away the ice that had inhabited his veins and leaving him limp and dozing, nearly unaware. He felt a cool hand on his face and heard a familiar voice that drew a ragged sob from down in his chest.

"You are going to be fine now," Byakuya's voice breathed into his ear, "Sleep, Ren."

"B-byakuya!" he gasped.

"Didn't you hear him?" Ichigo asked, appearing slowly out of the haze as Ren managed to open his eyes, "Byakuya told you to rest."  
"Ai-aizen Sousuke?" he croaked.

Byakuya's lips curved into a handsome smile.

"Imprisoned again," he answered, "Whatever you did, shattered the hougyoku. It broke apart and Aizen lost his immortality."

"He was stunned by your attack," Ichigo went on, "I don't know what you did, but it knocked him out and we subdued him. He's going back to Muken, and he's not getting out again!"

"Tetsuya and the baby?" Ren inquired sleepily.

"Both safe," Byakuya assured him.

"And...m-my...our baby?" he asked worriedly, moving his hand sluggishly to rest on his belly.

"I'm sure you can feel it," Byakuya said, touching the hand that rested on his abdomen, "Our baby is alive and well. You have nothing more to fear, but you need to rest."

"Wh-what about the Gotei 13?" Ren persisted, "Won't they still be after me because of what happened in the Rukongai before?"

"Kyouraku Soutaichou has already been here," Byakuya informed him, "He said that you have proven your ability and trustworthiness by helping to return Aizen Sousuke to their custody. You are expected, of course, to submit to proper training to learn to control your power, but our Soutaichou was willing to leave that in the hands of your other father and us."

"Ah," Ren sighed drowsily, what a relief!"

"Rest now," Byakuya insisted, lying down against one side as Ichigo joined him on the other. Embraced closely by his two resonants and finally at peace, Ren managed a little smile and drifted back to sleep.


	14. New Beginning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ren starts a new life with the men he loves.

(six months later)

A lusty, fluttering moan escaped Ren as he slept restlessly alongside his more deeply sleeping resonants. But with just that soft, hungry sound, the two other men in the bed with him opened their eyes and exchanged knowing glances.

"Hungry again?" Ichigo asked him, running a searching hand along Ren's soft inner thigh and caressing his flushed and very alert privates, "Byakuya, is it okay for us to be doing this so many times when he's almost ready to have our kid?"

Byakuya gently rubbed Ren's swollen belly, infusing the area with his reiatsu, then laying warm kisses all over the area he had touched.

"Kisuke said that it will not harm the baby, and in fact, it may nudge him into labor. Remember that male gestation requires less time than female, because our bodies are just maturing reiatsu. The child's body will form after he is born."

"I d-don't know if I'm ready just yet," Ren said anxiously, "I'm just really, really horny."

"Is that right?" Byakuya said sedately, giving him an amused look, "Ichigo, I think that our soul resonant needs our attentions."

"O-oh!" Ren groaned, moving carefully as Ichigo helped him turn onto his hands and knees, then moved into position behind him.

Ren smirked as he busied himself with Byakuya's flushed and leaking arousal. He moaned erotically, the vibration against his swollen penis making Byakuya pant and move his hips to increase the stimulation, while Ichigo's fingers invaded, sliding into Ren's already slick entrance and commencing a slow preparation. Ren quivered as Ichigo's practiced fingers found the center of pleasure inside him and stimulated the area relentlessly until Ren was bathed in sweat, shaking all over and so painfully erect he couldn't see straight.

"Ichigo!" he gasped.

"You want something?" Ichigo teased, leaning over his back to whisper hotly in his ear.

"T-touch me!"

"I don't know," Ichigo said, exchanging sly looks with Byakuya, "I think if I do, you won't last another minute. Hold on a sec, okay?"

A curse escaped Ren's lips as Byakuya leaned slightly forward, his slender hand capturing Ren's blushing cock at the base and holding him back from climax as Ichigo brought the damp head of his thick arousal to the wet entrance and pushed the head slowly inside.

"Augh, f-fuck!" Ren gasped feverishly, writhing against Ichigo to push him further inside and sucking voraciously on Byakuya's gently thrusting member as his fingers found the sensitive nerves inside the panting noble, "C-c'mon…oh-ah!"

Words escaped him and all Ren could manage was feral moans and sigh of intense pleasure as he was possessed and passionately fucked at both ends. He felt as though he might have left his body for a moment as their pleasure crested and the two men making love to Ren released. Intense heat and a feeling in heart and body of being overwhelmingly full made Ren howl and collapse onto his side as his handsome lovers laid kisses, first along the lines of his tattooed throat, then down on his round belly, caressing the area with gentler hands and leaving Ren in a sweet, sated haze.

He barely had the presence of mind to pull some of the bedding over him as attendants arrived to deliver a tray heaped with food. He dove into the meal immediately while Byakuya and Ichigo tied their yukatas closed, then sat on the bed, drinking cups of hot green tea and watching their pregnant mate eat voraciously.

"I never ate like this before," Ren chuckled, "My adoptive parents were hardworking people, but taking care of orphans is expensive. We had enough, but sometimes just barely. And we sure didn't have gourmet cooks and attendants waiting on us."

"Humility can be a good thing," Byakuya reasoned, "It taught you to be hardworking, yourself, and savvy, independent."

"It helped you to survive when things got tough," Ichigo added.

"I would never have thought that I would survive someone like Aizen coming after me like he did," Ren mused.

"You were brilliant," Byakuya said, moving in behind him and wrapping warm arms around him as Ren continued to eat, "Using powers you only just discovered, you were able to escape him, and later, to defeat him."

"I didn't really defeat him," Ren mused, "I just…got the hogyoku to reject him, and to help me."

He looked down at his distended abdomen and rubbed it gently.

"The hogyoku was made up of the lost hopes and dreams of so many people. And now, those hopes and dreams have a chance to come true…as part of our kid's life."

"I just wonder how our kid will deal with knowing that he's Aizen's grandson," Ichigo commented, "That's a lot to deal with."

"It is," Byakuya agreed, "however, our child will have someone to look up to, who has dealt quite admirably with that same struggle."

"I just hope Aizen stays in prison this time," Ren said, an edge of worry in his voice, "He escaped once…"

"The protections around him are much heavier than they were before," Byakuya assured him. And in addition, you have Ichigo and me watching over you."

"That's not all," Ichigo reminded him, "You have Kisuke too."

"Yeah," Ren agreed, "That's pretty mind-blowing. Urahara Kisuke is not at all what I thought my real parent would be like. I mean, we both are pretty street smart, but he's an amazing inventor."

"You showed outstanding intelligence as well in your conflict with Aizen," Byakuya complimented him, bringing a little flush to the younger man's face and throat.

"I was pretty much swinging in the dark," Ren chuckled, "I just got lucky."

Ichigo started to answer, but glanced over at the closed garden doors and Tetsuya's voice sounded outside. He walked to the doors and slid them open, smiling as he found Tetsuya sitting on the soft grass, holding his baby daughter as Arashi sniffed at the baby, then nuzzled her gently.

"A-chi!" the baby shouted, reaching out to pat the kneeling stallions face.

"Yes, Mikomi-chan," Tetsuya agreed, "that is our Arashi."

"Who's causing trouble out here?" Renji said, stepping down off of the walkway and moving to join Tetsuya and Mikomi on the grass.

He patted the red haired baby on the head, then offered his husband a long kiss of greeting. Arashi gave the two an equine raspberry and Mikomi giggled.

"Eh, knock it off," Renji said, playfully shoving the stallion's face away and kissing Tetsuya again.

"A-da! A-da wed!" Mikomi yelled, swatting at Renji's face.

"Yes, that's Daddy Renji," Tetsuya agreed.

"Pretty good, kid," Renji said proudly, "You can just go ahead and call me Daddy Red all you want."

"Spoiling her already," Ichigo chuckled, "That little girl and Tetsuya have you all wrapped around their little fingers, don't they?"

"Well, it's not like you'll be any different," Renji laughed, "You already spoil Ren, and when the baby comes, you're going to spoil your kid even more. Trust me, you won't be able to help it."

"You're probably right," Ichigo said, shaking his head.

"That is why you have me," Byakuya said, joining Ichigo in the doorway and curling an arm around him, "to keep some kind of order for our child."

"Is someone talking about me?" Ren asked, peeking out from within the bedroom.

"Kinda," Ichigo chuckled, greeting Ren with a kiss, "Renji thinks we're spoiling you."

"Can't really argue with that," Ren said, reaching up to scratch the back of his tattooed neck, "I feel spoiled."

"Ah…" Byakuya said, noticing an attendant who was coming out of the bedroom, "but it is time to dress."

Byakuya, Ichigo and Ren turned back inside, and Tetsuya turned Mikomi over to a female attendant, then followed Renji back to their bedroom. Attendants entered the bedroom and quickly dressed the two in handsome, formal kimonos.

"You look amazing," Renji said appreciatively, admiring Tetsuya's slender form in the mirror, "There's no way you could've had a baby just six months ago."

"It was probably the shortest gestation ever, because of Aizen Sousuke's interference," Tetsuya remembered, "I wish you could've been there. Mikomi and I are just happy that you came when you did. There was no way of knowing if Aizen would let us live or follow through on his threats to kill us both."

"Ren was really the one who saved everybody," Renji said solemnly, "I just protected you a little and brought you home."

"You did plenty," Tetsuya objected wrapping his arms around Renji and kissing him hungrily, "and I am very grateful. You didn't have to marry me. After all, Aizen did set us up to make Mikomi for his plans. I wasn't sure you were ready to settle down and be a husband and father."

"Well," Renji said, feeding him a longer, more penetrating kiss, "people can surprise you if you give'em a chance."

"They can," Tetsuya agreed, "But we'd better hurry. It's almost time for us to meet Byakuya-sama to walk to the council meeting.

The two men left the bedroom and met Byakuya, Ichigo and Ren on the wooden walkway, just outside the master suite. They started to walk towards the front gate, when Ren made a sound of pain and bent forward, panting and rubbing his belly.

"Hey, are you okay?" Ichigo asked worriedly.

"F-fine," Ren managed, breathing through a sharp pain, then relaxing, "but I really think it's time."

"Renji," Byakuya said quickly, "will you bring Kisuke? And please inform Ren's adoptive parents he has begun his labor. I am sure that Michio and Noa will want to be here."

"Sure thing, Taichou!" Renji answered, flash stepping away.

"Let's get you back into bed," Ichigo said, curling an arm around Ren, "Although, I don't know, Byakuya. You think he might just not want to go to that council meeting?"

"I…hah! I don't l-like those boring meetings," Ren panted, "but I'm really not k-kidding here. It feels like my insides are pushing and trying to come out!"

"That is just the baby's reiatsu," Byakuya said reassuringly, "You are going to be fine. But you need to let us help you inside and lie down."

"Sure thing," Ren panted, grunting as a sharper pain went through his insides, "As soon as I can…"

"I've got you," Ichigo chuckled, sweeping Ren off his feet and carrying him to the bed.

"Oh, thanks," Ren sighed, curling up on his side and forcing his breaths to slow, "This is better. It still hurts, but not so badly."

"The pains you are feeling are being caused by the reiatsu in the area over the spirit chamber. The flesh in that area is slowly losing cohesion, so that the baby can pass through," Kisuke said as he entered the room.

"I remember," Ren said, smiling at Tetsuya, who stood quietly near the door, "from watching while Tetsuya-san had his and Renji's Mikomi."

Kisuke bent over Ren, examining him for several minutes before he made a sound of approval and straightened.

"Everything looks good," he reported, "The reiatsu over the spirit chamber is almost thin enough to let the baby pass through."

"Are we in time?" Michio asked as he and Noa joined the others.

"Dad…Mom, I think this is really it this time," Ren panted, rubbing his stomach.

Kisuke turned the young man onto his back and laid his clothing out of the way, baring his swollen abdomen.

"It definitely looks like you are ready," Michio confirmed.

"How are you feeling, Ren, dear?" Noa asked kindly, patting his hand.

"P-pretty good, considering," Ren assured her.

"Ready?," asked Kisuke, "It looks like the baby's reiatsu is ready to emerge."

"C-can Byakuya and Ichigo deliver the baby?" Ren asked.

"Sure," Kisuke answered, grinning, "Gentlemen?"

Byakuya and Ichigo positioned themselves on either side of Ren as the others watched closely. Ren's rounded baby bump began to glow brightly, and a golden sphere appeared at the center. Byakuya and Ichigo curved their hands gently around the cluster and together lifted it gently out, then set the glowing bundle in Ren's arms. The three stared raptly as the glowing cluster slowly resolved into a tiny shinigami body with bright purple hair with ginger tips, and large grey eyes.

"Whoa!" Ren gasped.

"You have a son," Kisuke announced.

"Look at that hair!" Ichigo mused, "I love it!"

"His eyes are beautiful," Byakuya observed.

"He's amazing!" Ren breathed, touching the baby's face gently, "What are we going to call him?"

"I think you should name him," Byakuya suggested.

"I'm with Byakuya," Ichigo agreed, "You saved him from Aizen."

"We all helped to save him," Ren insisted, "but I think I know a good name. I think a person's name should be like the person, and I want my boy to think for himself. I think we should call him Kisho."

"What about his last name?" asked Kisuke, "You've got a lot to choose from."

Ren smiled.

"Urahara," he said, looking up at Kisuke for approval.

Kisuke blinked in surprise.

"Really?" he asked, looking confused, "But…"

"You didn't ask for me to be made using your body," Ren explained, "But since you found out about what Aizen did, you've acted like a father to me, taking care of me, watching out for me, even coming after me. I'm sorry Aizen used you against your will, but I am grateful to be your son."

Ren turned his head to look at his adoptive parents.

"Don't think I'm not grateful to the two of you as well. I am," he assured them.

"You don't have to explain to us, my dear," Noa said firmly, "Michio and I are peasants, and have no family name to give you. I think you've chosen well."

"Do you think it will be all right with the Shiba and Kuchiki elders if Kisho has Kisuke's surname?" Ren asked Byakuya.

"It is fine," Byakuya confirmed, "His lineage will be recorded, and which surname he goes by will be largely unimportant, except to us."

"That's good," Ren sighed, smiling down at his baby boy, "Urahara Kisho."

"Are you going by Kisuke's last name also?" Ichigo inquired.

"Yes," Ren said, nodding, "I am ready to put Aizen Sousuke and his scheme behind me."

"I think we're all ready for that," Kisuke agreed, "Thank you, Ren. I am…honored. And whatever you need from me, you only need to ask."

"I know," Ren said, smiling, "I know you can be counted on."

He looked up at his two resonants, his eyes warm and affectionate.

"Aizen tried to convince me that I would never be accepted…that I would never fit in, because of my unusual powers, but because of all of you, my family and my new friends, I know in my heart now, that he was wrong. I love you all."

"We love you too, Ren," Byakuya and Ichigo answered, curing their arms carefully around Ren and the baby and holding them close.

(The End)

(AN** Thanks so much to Henka Chan for requesting this story and allowing me to use the OC Ren!)


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